Air India Plans To Order For More Than 200 Boeing Aircraft

Air India is reportedly pursuing talks with Boeing and Airbus as the newly privatised airline wants to modernise its fleet.

According to Reuters, the India-based airline is close to finalising a deal with Boeing for over 200 aircraft, including 190 Boeing 737 MAX and 30 787 Dreamliner jets. According to the source, the transaction might also include the 777X. Previous reports from 11 December 2022 said that Air India was considering ordering up to 500 new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, divided into 400 narrow-body planes and 100 wide-body jets.

Air India has also announced plans to take Boeing 737 MAX aircraft earmarked for other airlines and place them with its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express. According to reports, there were 50 737 MAXs available for delivery on short notice.

The airline, which was fully privatised when the Indian government sold it to Tata Sons in January 2022, has seen significant changes since its ownership. AirAsia India, a joint venture between AirAsia and Tata, was purchased by the Indian conglomerate that took over Air India. It further stated that it plans to integrate Vistara with Air India in November 2022.

Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines have partnered to form Vistara. Following the merger, Singapore Airlines will own 25.1% of Air India, pouring INR50.2 billion ($615 million) in cash into the Indian carrier. Tata Sons would retain a 74.9 percent share.

Air India’s fleet of 112 aircraft is now 10.1 years old on average.