- The airline signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron took the lead
- Modi said it was an “important achievement” for the India-France strategic partnership.
- Biden announced the Air India-Boeing agreement for “over 200 American-made aircraft”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron took the lead in announcing Air India’s order for 470 new aircraft – 250 from Airbus and 220 from Boeing – and underlined that the agreements will deepen the partnership further.
The airline signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing, making it the largest-ever pipeline of new aircraft ordered by an Indian airline. Air India will buy 250 planes including 40 wide-body planes from Airbus, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said.
Chandrasekaran said a letter of intent has been signed with Airbus for the acquisition of the aircraft.
Of the 470 aircraft for Tata Group-owned Air India, 70 will be wide-body planes for long-haul flights. The airline signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing, making it the largest-ever pipeline of new aircraft ordered by an Indian airline. Later in the evening, Biden announced the Air India-Boeing agreement for “over 200 American-made aircraft”.
In a statement released by the White House, Biden said, “The United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing. “I am proud to announce today the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through a historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree. This announcement also reflects the strength of the U.S.-India economic partnership.” “Together with Prime Minister Modi, I look forward to deepening our partnership even further as we continue to confront shared global challenges—creating a more secure and prosperous future for all of our citizens,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, said Modi had a “warm and productive phone call” with Biden and they “expressed satisfaction at the deepening of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which has resulted in robust growth in all domains”.
“They welcomed the announcement of a landmark agreement between Air India and Boeing as a shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries. The Prime Minister invited Boeing and other US companies to make use of the opportunities arising due to the expanding civil aviation sector in India,” the PMO stated.
