Air India Ltd. is in talks with Airbus SA and Boeing Co. expand its aircraft order from last year to up to 300 planes, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, marking an acceleration of its turnaround under Tata Group.
The negotiations now include as many as 80-100 wide-body jets, the sources said, on top of previously reported talks for 200 narrow-body jets and 25-30 wide-body aircraft.
Airbus said it does “not comment on confidential discussions, which may or may not be happening with customers”. Air India and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Air India aircraft order
In June, Reuters reported that Air India was in talks with Airbus and Boeing for a major new aircraft order including some 200 extra narrow-body planes, topping up a mammoth deal in 2023. That came on top of earlier discussions involving 25-30 wide-body jets, which Reuters reported in March.
Under the latest plans for the airline’s rebranding as a modern global carrier under Tata, it is now looking at up to 300 more planes, the people familiar with the matter said. It was not immediately clear how many of these may involve options rather than firm orders.
Such a deal would once again likely be shared between Airbus and Boeing but the possible split has not been finalised, one of the sources said.
Adding more wide-body jets to its fleet would help Air India bolster its international network and replace ageing planes.