Air India has recently entered negotiations with the world’s largest commercial aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, regarding a record order for 500 jets.
The deal, if officially confirmed by the airline, will become the largest order by aircraft number to be placed in commercial aviation history.
Placing large orders during global airline industry recovery
Delhi-based Air India is reportedly in talks with the manufacturers to buy up to 500 new planes, including 400 narrow-body jets and 100 wide-body aircraft.
Looking at single-aisle planes, the airline will potentially order a mix of Airbus A320neos, A321neos, and Boeing 737 MAXs. Meanwhile, in the twin-aisle category, the Indian air carrier will likely order Boeing 787s and 777Xs for passenger service as well as some Boeing 777s and Airbus A350 freighters for air cargo operations, industry sources told Reuters.
The order is being placed at a time when the industry is recovering across the globe. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines are expected to finally return to profitability with a net profit of around $4.7 billion in 2023.
Source: aerotime-aero.cdn.ampproject