Image Source : X/@AIRINDIA An image of an Air India aircraft.
Air India announced on Monday that it has placed an additional order for 100 Airbus aircraft, including 10 widebody A350 jets and 90 narrowbody A320 Family planes, such as the A321neo. This new order builds on the airline’s earlier agreements, bringing its total Airbus orders for 2023 to 350 aircraft, comprising 40 A350s and 310 A320 Family aircraft. The latest purchase is also supplementary to Air India’s firm orders for 470 aircraft placed with Airbus and Boeing last year. In a bid to enhance operational efficiency, Air India revealed that it has selected Airbus’ Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C) to manage the maintenance needs of its expanding A350 fleet.
The new materials and maintenance contract will help Air India to optimise the reliability and performance of its A350 fleet, with comprehensive engineering services and integrated component services including on-site stock at Delhi provided by Airbus.
“With India’s passenger growth outpacing the rest of the world, its significantly improving infrastructure and an aspirational young population increasingly going global, we see a clear case for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the firm orders of the 470 aircraft placed last year, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said.
What did CEO of Airbus say?
Chandrasekaran further added that these additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help to position Air India on the path to greater growth and contribute to our mission of building Air India into a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world. Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, expressed his enthusiasm over Air India’s decision to expand its partnership with the aviation giant. Reflecting on the growth of India’s aviation sector, Faury stated, “Having personally witnessed the formidable growth of the Indian aviation sector in recent months, I am glad to see Air India renew its trust in Airbus with this additional order for both our A320 Family and A350 aircraft.”
Air India expands fleet
With the order for 100 additional aircraft, Air India currently has a total of 344 new aircraft incoming from Airbus, having received six A350s so far. Air India in 2023 had also placed orders for 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft with Boeing, of which 185 aircraft remain to be delivered. Air India is the first Indian airline to operate the Airbus A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Delivering exceptional fuel-efficiency, passenger comfort, and long-range capabilities, the A350s now offer an all-new Air India flying experience to travellers flying non-stop from Delhi to London and New York.
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