New Delhi: Recently, Air India unveiled another giant step: ordering 100 more Airbus planes! Those include 10 A350 wide-body jets for long, international travel and 90 single-aisle A320 Family planes for those shorter hops. It all emerged last December 9, 2024. As a matter of fact, the order added on to what was already going to happen; last year Air India had ordered 40 A350s and 210 A320 Family planes. And that total Airbus order for Air India now stands at 344 planes, six of which are already flying.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, explains why the airline is growing at such breakneck speed. Passenger numbers in India are booming, and young, travel-hungry, ever-improving infrastructure-in this second inning of growth-are perfect to expand to a global airline connecting India to the world.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury also shared his excitement about working with Air India again, especially as India’s aviation industry is growing rapidly. Airbus is fully backing Air India’s transformation under Tata’s leadership with its “Vihaan.AI” plan to boost the airline’s operations and services.
The A350 is world’s one of the most advanced widebody jets, ideal for long trips up to 9,700 nautical miles. It’s super-efficient, with a cutting-edge tech that reduces fuel use by 25% deliberately compared to older its models, lowers operating costs, and cuts noise levels in half. Meanwhile, the A321neo is part of Airbus’s popular A320neo Family, known for being eco-friendly with over 20% fuel savings and lower CO₂ emissions. It’s also comfortable for passengers, sporting the roomiest cabin in its class.
To maintain these aircraft, Air India has signed up for Airbus’s Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C). This program will ensure top-notch maintenance and support for the A350s, from spare parts stocked in Delhi to engineering services. This will help Air India keep its planes flying reliably while managing costs.
This order represents yet another significant stride by Air India towards becoming a leader in global aviation.
