NEW DELHI: Aerospace major Boeing on Tuesday said Air India will purchase 290 aircraft from the company to scale up its fleet and achieve sustainable growth. In a statement, Boeing said Air India plans to invest in 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X aeroplanes.
Along with a comprehensive set of aviation services, Air India is advancing its fleet strategy to sustainably address South Asia’s rapidly growing domestic and international air travel market, Boeing said.
The agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s. When finalised, this will be the largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company’s nearly 90-year partnership with the carrier.
“This acquisition of nearly 300, highly advanced Boeing jets is a core element of Vihaan.AI, the comprehensive transformation and growth strategy we are pursuing at Air India”, said Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India.
He further said, “These new airplanes will enable us to dramatically expand our network, both domestically and internationally, and will come with a completely new, world-class onboard product enabling passengers to travel in the highest levels of comfort and safety. With this order, we are delighted to take our long relationship with Boeing to a new level”.
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said, “Air India’s selection of Boeing’s family of passenger jets shows their confidence in our products and services in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, and their decision will support engineering and manufacturing jobs at Boeing factories in Washington state, South Carolina and across our supply base”.
“With the industry-leading fuel efficiency of the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X, Air India is well positioned to achieve its expansion plans and become a world-class global airline with an Indian heart”, added Stan.
Air India has also contracted with Boeing Global Services for lifecycle support services, including digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange programmes, pilot and maintenance technician training, aircraft modifications and other services.
The 737 MAX will provide flexibility across Air India’s domestic and international network while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 per cent compared to the aeroplanes it replaces.
The 737-8, seating 162 to 210 passengers, depending on configuration, and with a range of 3,500 nautical miles, is the market’s most versatile single-aisle aeroplane, capable of operating profitably on short- and medium-haul routes.
According to Boeing, the 737-10, the largest aeroplane in the 737 MAX family, offers the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle commercial jet, seating 188 to 230 passengers, depending on configuration with a range of 3,100 nautical miles.
Air India has benefited from the efficiency and flexibility of the 787 Dreamliner family with an existing fleet of 27 787-8s. The larger 787-9 will provide increased capacity, greater range and 25 per cent better fuel efficiency compared to earlier-generation jets, the statement said.
Boeing said the flagship 777-9 — the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet — will be the largest aeroplane in Air India’s fleet, enabling it to fly passengers non-stop and in enhanced comfort to almost any long-haul destination.
Further, the 777X features a spacious cabin, new custom architecture and innovations from the 787. With new breakthroughs in aerodynamics and engines, the 777-9 will provide 10 per cent lower fuel use and emissions and 10 per cent lower operating costs than the competition.
Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial aeroplanes, defence products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.
After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were acquired by the Tata group in January 2022. The present management at Air India is driving the five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI to establish itself as a world-class global airline.
Vihaan.AI is Air India’s transformational roadmap over five years and will be focusing on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance. (ANI)