In 2023, Air India confirmed an order for 470 jets with Airbus and Boeing. As a part of the Airbus share of these aircraft, there were 210 A320family aircraft on order (140 A321neos and 70 A320s), 20 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000 aircraft. Airbus delivered six A350-900 aircraft, initially designated for Aeroflot, to Air India along with the original product selected. Air India will now receive 34 A350-900/1000 aircraft, factory-fresh and manufactured to Air India’s specifications. At the time of the order, Air India was the first and only customer of the A350 widebody in India. IndiGo has subsequently placed an order for A350 aircraft as well.
Air India’s first A350-900 aircraft being prepared for delivery in Toulouse. Picture Credit: Nuno Seletti (@NunoSeletti on Twitter)
Air India orders more A320family and A350 aircraft.
As part of its monthly reporting about orders and deliveries, Airbus reported yesterday that on September 5, 2024, a customer placed an order for 85 aircraft with Airbus. “Undisclosed”, as these orders turn up, is when the airline does not want to reveal its orders as there may be internal processes ongoing, or the airline might just be looking for a suitable time to disclose the orders.
Bloomberg now reports that the “undisclosed” customer might be Air India. While they don’t have an official comment from Airbus or Air India, they report this based on discussions with “people familiar with the matter.” Per Airbus’s disclosures yesterday, the airline has ordered an additional 55 A321neo aircraft, 20 A320neo aircraft, and five additional A350-900s and -1000s each. Reuters says that Boeing may similarly get a second “add-on” order shortly.
The supplementary order might look like a small change compared to the earlier order. Still, the airline is absorbing as much capacity as it can avail of itself in a rush to undo the undercapacity of the past. Air India already has a fleet of 140 aircraft (including 60 widebodies – 777, 787 and A350s), and in a month from now, it will absorb Vistara, which has a fleet of 70 aircraft, including 6 787-9 aircraft of its own.
The airline faces competition from IndiGo, which currently has over 375 aircraft in its fleet (including those grounded for engine issues) and 950 aircraft on order (including 30 A350-900 planes).
Ironically, the disclosure comes after the news about the Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata’s passing last night. Customers lead such announcements, and we may have to wait a while before the airline confirms the order to the world at large.
Bottomline
Air India, which had 470 aircraft on order from Boeing and Airbus, has reportedly signed another order of 85 aircraft with Airbus, but the order has yet to be officially revealed. If confirmed, Airbus would have won Air India to supply another 75 narrowbody jets and 10 A350 widebody aircraft in the coming years.
What do you make of these additions to the Air India order book?
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Hopefully they will start hiring for crew soon
Good luck air india