Air India in talks to acquire up to 300 aircraft, including 100 wide-body jets: Report
Air India is negotiating with Airbus and Boeing to acquire up to 300 aircraft, including as many as 80 to 100 wide-body jets, as part of an accelerated expansion of its fleet under the Tata Group, Reuters reported citing sources familiar with the matter on Wednesday.The talks come on top of earlier discussions for around 200 narrow-body planes and 25-30 wide-body aircraft, signalling a major ramp-up in the airline’s plans to modernise its fleet and strengthen its international network.Airbus declined to comment on “confidential discussions, which may or may not be happening with customers,” while Air India and Boeing did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.According to sources, the final split between Airbus and Boeing has not been decided, and it remains unclear how many of the aircraft could be options rather than firm orders.The fleet expansion follows Air India’s efforts to rebrand itself as a global carrier under Tata ownership, and comes in the wake of the June crash of a Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. The addition of new wide-body jets would help the airline replace ageing planes and support its growing international operations.
