Tata Group-owned Air India Ltd. is looking at purchasing as many as 30 widebody aircraft, the engine maker for Airbus SE’s A350 jets told, an order that will permit the former state-run carrier to aggressively pursue international development.
“I believe they are looking at something up to 30 aircraft, could be as big as that, which is a big order. A truly big order,” Chris Davie, a senior vice president in the Asia Pacific for Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc told in an interview on the sidelines of the airshow in Hyderabad.
- An order for 30 A350-100 jets could be valued at about $9.5 billion at 2018 sticker prices, although large discounts are common in big plane purchases. Based on prices provided by aircraft appraiser Avitas Inc., the market value of 30 such jets in 2021 was $4.5 billion.
Davie declined to comment on a timeline for any potential order but told his team has accompanied Airbus officials when the planemaker flew an A350 to multiple Indian cities showcasing the jet.
Also, read
- Aviation Minister: Indian airlines intends to add 100-120 new aircraft every year
- Gold biscuits Rs 1.37 crore found hidden under passenger seat on Indigo flight from Dubai
- Air India technicians called off strike as ministry gives assurance
A350 jets to local carriers in recent days
The European planemaker has doubled down on efforts to sell its A350 jets to local carriers in recent days, with a specific eye on Air India.
The airline, which under its new owners — India’s largest conglomerate — needs to revamp its fleet of Boeing 777 jets to take on its profitable local rivals such as Indigo and Spicejet Ltd.
Air India about an order for a raft of new jets
Airbus and Boeing Co. are in talks with the new owners of Air India about an order for a raft of new jets, Bloomberg News reported last month.
Those discussions involved both A350-900s and 787-9 Dreamliners. Boeing dominates the widebody fleet in India while Airbus doesn’t have a single active consumer.
Singapore-based Davie’s travel to India was aimed at meeting key players in the Indian market, and holding discussions with Air India and Tata Sons Pvt., the $103 billion salt-to-software conglomerate that bought the chronically unprofitable airline from the government before this year.
Thank you
Stay updated with Aviationa2z.com
