Tata Group-owned Air India on Tuesday announced that it will buy 250 aircraft from plane manufacturer Airbus, PTI reported. Tata Sons Chairperson N Chandrasekaran said that the deal will include 210 narrow-body aircraft and 40 wide-body planes.
This is the first time in more than 17 years that Air India has placed an order to buy an aircraft, according to PTI. This is also the first order placed by the carrier under the ownership of Tata Group.
The deal was announced at a virtual event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Air India’s Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson, Tata Trust Chairperson Ratan Tata, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal were also present.
Chandrasekaran said that the airlines will use wide-body aircraft to fly ultra-long routes across the world.
“We are committed to building a world-class airline,” he said, according to Reuters. “...One of the most important things is a modern fleet which is efficient and can perform for all routes.”
Modi termed the deal a landmark and said that India would need over 2,000 aircraft in the next 15 years.
“This important deal shows, along with the deepening of relations between India and France, the successes and aspirations of the civil aviation sector in India,” the prime minister said. “Today, civil aviation is an integral part of India’s growth.”
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