According to industry insiders, Air India is close to making historic contracts for up to 500 jetliners worth tens of billions of dollars from both Airbus and Boeing as it carves out an ambitious revival under the Tata Group conglomerate.
The orders include up to 400 narrow-body planes and 100 or more wide-body planes, including dozens of Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s and 777s, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity as the massive transaction nears completion.
It would also enable Airbus to find a home for certain A350 manufacturing slots originally planned for Russia’s Aeroflot but now available due to war-related restrictions imposed on Moscow.
Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) both refused to comment. Air India, which is owned by the Tata Group, did not reply to a request for comment.
China delivered its first C919 airliner last week, but experts believe it is at least a decade away from competing on such a large scale.
