Air India will buy 100 new aircraft from France's Airbus, last year it had ordered 470 aircraft

Air India has ordered 100 new aircraft from Airbus, the French aircraft manufacturer. These aircraft also include 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft A321 Neo. This order of 100 new aircraft is different from the order of 470 aircraft that Air India had given to Airbus and Boeing together last year.

The new order takes to 350 the total number of aircraft ordered by Air India from Airbus. In February last year, Air India had placed orders with Airbus for 250 planes, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft.

Air India also announced that it has selected Airbus' Flight Over Services-Component (FHS-C) to support the maintenance needs of its growing A350 fleet. "With India's passenger numbers growing faster than the rest of the world, its infrastructure improving significantly and a young population becoming increasingly global, we believe there is a clear need for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the 470 aircraft firm order placed last year," said Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Air India.

He said, "These 100 additional Airbus aircraft will help put Air India on the path of growth and contribute to our mission of making Air India a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world."

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said, "Having personally witnessed the tremendous growth of the Indian aviation sector in recent months, I am delighted to see that Air India has reposed its trust in Airbus with this additional order for our A320 family and A350 aircraft. "Through this continued partnership, we are committed to contributing to the success of Air India's "Vihaan.ai" transformation plan under the vision and leadership of Tata," the Airbus CEO added.

With the order for 100 more aircraft, Airbus now has to deliver a total of 344 new aircraft to Air India, with six A350s so far having arrived. Air India has also ordered 220 Boeing widebody and narrowbody aircraft in 2023, out of which it is yet to take the delivery of 185 aircraft.

Air India has become the first Indian carrier to operate an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Besides offering passengers great fuel efficiency, comfort, and the capability for long hauls, these A350s now introduce passengers to a whole new flying experience of Air India-flying non-stop from Delhi to London and New York. The A320 Family fleet, which is powered by CFM Leap 1-A engines, forms the backbone of Air India's domestic and short-haul operations, carrying millions of the airline's customers around the world in great comfort.