A few hours after Airbus and Air India announced a 250-strong aircraft order, Boeing followed suit with its own long-anticipated order, which turns out to be even larger. If all options are included, this takes the order to a total of 290 aircraft.
Air India is ordering 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft (of both the –8 and –10 versions), 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 10 of the up-and-coming Boeing 777-9, the latest version of the popular triple seven, which is still under development.
The deal also includes 50 options for additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 20 for Boeing 787-9 planes as well as a comprehensive services package that would cover the next few decades.
Adding together the Airbus and Boeing orders, Air India plans to induct 470 aircraft into service. It also has outstanding options for 70 more, making it also one of the largest aircraft orders in history. In any case, this is a strong bet by Air India and its owners, the Tata Sons conglomerate, on the continued growth of the Indian air travel market.