Sawt Falasteen - Air India buys 100 more Airbus aircraft

The airline said the deal consisted of 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft.

The new purchase, the company said in a statement, is "in addition" to the orders for 470 aircraft Air India placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.

When the two deals were announced, it was the largest order unveiled at the same time by a commercial carrier, with list price calculations for the jets suggesting an estimated value north of $70 billion.

"The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India ordered with Airbus in 2023 from 250 aircraft, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 family aircraft, to 350," the carrier said in a statement, without giving price details on the latest order.

Since taking over the former national carrier in 2022, the sprawling Tata Group conglomerate has sought to turn around the loss-making airline by ordering new aircraft and upgrading its existing fleet.

Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said the airline saw a "clear case" for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the 470 aircraft ordered in 2023.

"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," Chandrasekaran said in a statement.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in a statement that he was pleased by Air India's latest investment.

"Having personally witnessed the formidable growth of the Indian aviation sector... I am glad to see Air India renew its trust in Airbus with this additional order," he said.

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST