Air India To Place Huge Aircraft Order

Air India looks set to place a mammoth new commercial aircraft order for widebody jets, with Airbus and Boeing in contention to secure the contract.

As reported by Reuters, the airline is seeking potentially over 50 jets, which will add to the hundreds of units already in the company’s backlog.

According to several sources close to the airline, Airbus and Boeing remain in contention for the deal, which is still being finalised.

If the deal proceeded as currently believed, it would likely be split between Airbus and Boeing widebody aircraft, with the A350 and 777X considered the ideal options.

These aircraft types are already flying or remaining in the airline’s backlog awaiting delivery. Therefore, a new deal would represent a top-up purchase to align with future ambitions and to meet the demand that’ll be seen as available.

Talk of a new order comes a few years after the airline committed to almost 500 firm aircraft from Airbus and Boeing to transform its business in the long run under new ownership.

The carrier’s already going back for seconds and thirds indicates an appetite for growing the backlog.

Ten 777X units have already been ordered, while 50 Airbus A350s are also in the works, both of which will play an integral role. However, Boeing will no doubt be hoping to secure more orders for its upcoming widebody jet.

A New Era For Air India

The existing aircraft purchases, paired with the upcoming one planned by the Indian carrier, underscore the direction it’s attempting to take under new ownership.

Tata Group, since taking on the beaten carrier from the Indian government, has committed heavily to turning around its fortunes and investing enormous amounts of money.

Those investments have ranged from purchasing new aircraft immediately to completely retrofitting the interior cabin to elevate customer satisfaction levels and compete more strongly with established airlines in the region and neighbouring locations.

However, Air India’s plans have been hampered by ongoing supply chain shortages and challenges at aircraft manufacturers. These manufacturers have been unable to deliver commercial aircraft on time, and in some cases, the jets Air India is expecting remain uncertified.

In recent comments, Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, stated that challenges with aircraft are expected to continue for the next four to five years and will hamper growth ambitions that have been laid out.

These present challenges in the business and force the retrainment of older, less-efficient aircraft. However, Air India is aware there’s not much it can do considering that the challenges are out of its own hands, its hands essentially tied back.