Air India confirms order of 100 aircraft with Airbus

India's flag carrier, Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has officially confirmed its earlier orders for 10 A350 widebody aircraft and 90 narrowbody A320 Family planes, including the A321neo, with Airbus, according to a release from both Airbus and Air India.

These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders of 470 aircraft that Air India had placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.

The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India ordered with Airbus in 2023 from 250 aircraft, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft, to 350, mentions the official release.

The airline has not yet disclosed which A350 model it selected in the new order, nor has it provided a breakdown of the 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft, which also includes the A321neo, ordered from Airbus.

Air India has also announced its selection of Airbus’ Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C) to meet the maintenance needs of its expanding A350 fleet. This new materials and maintenance contract is designed to enhance the reliability and performance of the A350 aircraft, offering comprehensive engineering solutions and integrated component services. The agreement also includes on-site stock support at Delhi, provided by Airbus, the release added.

Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) is a comprehensive material and maintenance solution offered on a fixed hourly-rate basis. Under FHS-C, Air India will benefit from fully integrated component services, including on-site stock availability in Delhi. The service also grants the airline access to Airbus' shared regional spare parts pools, along with repair and engineering support for a broad range of replaceable components.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Air India, says, “With India’s passenger growth outpacing the rest of the world, its significantly improving infrastructure and an aspirational young population increasingly going global, we see a clear case for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the firm orders of the 470 aircraft placed last year. These additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help to position Air India on the path to greater growth and contribute to our mission of building Air India into a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world.”

“Having personally witnessed the formidable growth of the Indian aviation sector in recent months, I am glad to see Air India renew its trust in Airbus with this additional order for both our A320 Family and A350 aircraft. Through this continued partnership, we are committed to supporting the success of Air India's "Vihaan.AI" transformation plan under Tata's vision and leadership,” says Guillaume Faury, CEO, Airbus.

With an order for 100 additional aircraft, Air India now has a total of 344 new Airbus aircraft on order, with six A350s already delivered. In 2023, the airline also placed an order for 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft from Boeing, of which 185 are yet to be delivered.

According to sources, this deal was finalised in September this year, with the current announcement serving as an official confirmation. The airline had reportedly placed the order discreetly, without disclosing details at the time. Neither Airbus nor Air India commented on the order initially, but media reports indicated it comprised 85 aircraft, comprising 75 narrow-body A320 family planes and 10 wide-body A350s.

The A350s are equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, while the A320 Family fleet is powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines.

In July this year, Air India selected IBS Software’s iCargo solution to support its growth and digitally transform its expanding air cargo operations. IBS Software’s fully integrated iCargo platform will enable Air India to digitise end-to-end cargo management, seamlessly integrating various operations, from sales to billing, within a single platform. This will help streamline processes and improve decision-making capabilities.