The Tata Group-led Air India may reportedly seal half of an order of jets with Boeing and engine suppliers today. With this step, the Tata Group’s flagship project is expected to come back on the revival track and compete with other major airline players in the market.
According to a Reuters report, Air India, on Friday, is expected to seal this order worth billions of dollars, which will constitute some 495 jets with Boeing and engine suppliers General Electric and CFM International. It adds that Air India is all set to place an order for 190 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody planes as well as some 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777X.
Since this is just half of the order, the second half too, is expected to have a mammoth deal. The Reuters report mentions that the next order is expected to include around 235 Airbus single-aisle jets and about 40 Airbus A350 widebody aircrafts. This order too, is expected to be completed over the next couple of days.
It must be noted that as of now, Air India has not officially commented on the exact timeline of this transaction. However, even before, several media reports suggested that Air India was expected to buy around 500 jets from Boeing and Airbus, a deal which is being seen as crucial for the airline’s revival.
The Indian aviation industry has recently made headlines for various good and bad reasons. From launch of airlines connecting new routes to technical snags, all incidents have gripped airlines across the industry. However, Air India’s efforts towards its own revival are largely being seen positively by the industry.
