After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Airbus’ Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said that the firm plans to deepen its industrial footprint and support civil aviation growth in India. Airbus also hopes to secure a new home at Air India for six A350s originally earmarked for Russia’s Aeroflot.
Air India is in the advanced stages of a major fleet renewal and expansion under Tata Group that is expected to involve 250 Airbus jets including 200-210 A320neo-family jets and over three dozen A350s.
Air India is also close to a deal to buy some 190 Boeing 737 MAX jets and 30 of its 787 Dreamliners as part of the same package potentially close to 500 aircraft. The deal could also involve a handful of larger 777X jets. In October, Tata Group and Airbus said they would make the C-295 military transport aircraft in India.
India has been trying to cut its reliance on foreign firms and increase local output. Only state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd currently makes aircraft, mainly for the armed forces.
