Air India plans to purchase 470 aircraft, Airbus and Boeing are "happy"
CTOnews.com, February 16 / PRNewswire-FirstCall-Asianet /-- Air India announced on February 14 that it has chosen Boeing's aircraft family to expand its future fleet, investing in 190 737 MAX (including 737-8 and 737-10 models), 20 787-9 Dreamliners and 10 777Xs. The agreement also includes an intention to buy another 50 737s and 20 MAX.
At the same time, Air India also announced a commitment to order 250 Airbus aircraft to strengthen its domestic and international operations. The order includes 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft, as well as 34 A350-1000 and 6 A350-900 wide-body aircraft.
CTOnews.com learned that Boeing said that once the plan is implemented, it will be Boeing's largest order in South Asia. Air India has also signed a life cycle support service contract with Boeing Global Services Group, covering digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange programs, pilot and maintenance personnel training, aircraft modification and other services.
According to Boeing's official information, the 737-8 can carry 162,210 passengers depending on the configuration and has a range of 3500 nautical miles. The 737-10 is the largest model in the 737 MAX family, with a range of 3100 nautical miles and a capacity of 188-230 passengers depending on the configuration. Air India has an existing fleet of 27 787-8s. The larger 787-9 will bring greater capacity and longer range, as well as 25% more fuel efficiency than the previous generation.
In addition, Airbus's first A350-900 aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2023. The Airbus A350 is a modern, efficient, wide-body aircraft in the 300-410-seat market, capable of providing a three-class cabin layout. The Airbus A321neo aircraft is the longest member of the Airbus single-aisle A320 series, comfortably accommodating 180 to 220 passengers in a typical two-cabin configuration and up to 244 passengers in a higher-density layout. In a typical cabin layout, the Airbus A320neo can hold between 140and 170passengers, with a maximum capacity of 180passengers.
