Just days after Air India announced its commitment to order 250 Airbus aircraft, the full scope of the fleet order has been revealed: 470 planes from Airbus and Boeing.
If all orders are fulfilled, it could set a record, narrowly beating American Airlines’ 460-plane order in 2011.
The Tata Group-owned airline has confirmed it has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire both widebody and single-aisle aircraft.
The order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.
The acquisition of A350s should let Air India add more non-stop flights from points in India to cities in Australia and the US.
Interpreting the development, the BBC quoted experts who said its sheer size “indicates Air India’s desire to reclaim its pole position in India’s crowded aviation market and acquire a strategic edge to service the world”.
Analysts view the order as a move to counter the dominance of Gulf carriers and to align Air India’s fleet more closely with those of Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines – all members of Star Alliance.
The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. All single-aisle aircraft will be powered by engines from CFM International.
Tata-owned Air India to acquire 250 Airbus aircraft
“Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology,
engineering, network and human resources,” said Tata Sons and Air India Chairman, Mr N Chandrasekaran.
“Modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.AI transformation program, to offer a world-class proposition serving global travellers with an Indian heart.
“These new aircraft will modernise the Airline’s fleet and onboard product, and dramatically expand its global network. The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem.”
The first of the new aircraft will enter service later this year, with the bulk to arrive from mid-2025 onwards. Meanwhile, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.
The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024.
The Air India group currently comprises full-service Air India, as well as two low-cost subsidiaries Air India Express and Air Asia India which are in the process of merging. Its parent, Tata Sons, recently announced its intention to merge Air India with full-service airline Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines in which the former holds a 51% share.
In steady state, subject to regulatory approval, the Group would comprise a single full-service airline, Air India, and a single low-cost airline, Air India Express.
If that formula sounds familiar to Australians, no wonder: Qantas pioneered it with Jetstar, which it launched 20 years ago, in 2003.
Written by Peter Needham
