New Delhi: In a major development in India's civil aviation section, Air India and Airbus announced their landmark deal on Tuesday. Air India has agreed to acquire 250 aircraft from Airbus, Tata Group chief N Chandrasekaran said in a virtual event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The 250 jets from Airbus include 210 narrowbody planes and 40 widebody aircraft, Chandrasekaran said. The deal is part of a huge order by Air India for 470 planes which is expected to also include an order for 220 planes from Airbus rival Boeing as it heralds a decade-long expansion and reinvents itself under Tata.
"I want to congratulate Air India and Airbus for this landmark agreement. I also want to thank my friend President Macron for attending this event. This important deal not only reflects stronger Indo-French relations but also showcases the significant successes and ambitions of India's civil aviation sector," PM Modi said in his address during the virtual event that was attended by several union ministers from India and officials from France, and top officials of Air India and Airbus.
"Strengthening the civil aviation sector is a major part of our national infrastructure strategy. In the last eight years, the number of airports in India has jumped from 74 to 147. Our regional connectivity scheme UDAN has been able to connect the remotest parts of the country further encouraging the economic and social development of the country," the PM said.
He added that India has the capacity to become a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub for the aviation sector in the region. The Indian aviation sector, the Prime Minister said, will need more than 2,000 aircraft in the next 15 years.
