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Under Tata Group’s ownership, Air India has taken a significant step in its aggressive expansion strategy by ordering an additional 100 Airbus jets. Announced on 9 December 2024, this firm order includes 10 A350s and 90 A320neo-family aircraft. This new acquisition adds to the substantial 470 Airbus and Boeing aircraft orders placed last year, which included 40 A350s, 210 A320neo-family jets, 190 Boeing 737 Max jets, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs.
A Bold Move for Future Growth
The announcement follows the delivery of Air India’s first Airbus A350-900 in late December 2023. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chair of Air India and Tata Sons, highlighted the rationale behind this expansion: “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. 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.”
Enhancing Fleet and Efficiency
With this new commitment, Air India now has 344 aircraft incomings from Airbus, having already received six A350s. Additionally, of the 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft ordered from Boeing, 185 are still to be delivered. CFM International Leap-1A engines promise enhanced performance and efficiency and power the incoming A320neo-family aircraft.
Meeting Growing Demand
This expansion underscores Air India’s dedication to scaling new heights and enhancing its fleet to serve the growing demand for air travel in and out of India. As the airline continues to receive and integrate new aircraft, passengers can look forward to upgraded experiences and more options for global travel. The future of Air India looks bright, with a modern fleet ready to connect passengers to destinations across the globe.
Stay tuned for more updates as Air India grows and expands its reach.