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AIR INDIA MAKES MEGA ORDER

Tata Sons with Air Asia Investment Limited
AIR INDIA HAS FINALISED ONE OF THE (Malaysia) retaining the remaining 16.33 per
LARGEST COMMERCIAL AVIATION cent. Air Asia India operates an all Airbus fleet
comprised of approximately 28 A320ceos
ORDERS IN RECENT HISTORY and neos, while Air India Express operates
an all-Boeing fleet of approximately 24 Boeing

 Atul Chandra 737- 800 Next Generation (NG) jetliners.
The two different types operated by Air Asia
A revitalised Air India has finalised a deal with Airbus and Boeing India and Air India Express, could pose a prob-
for one of the largest commercial aviation orders in recent his- lem in the consolidation of the two carriers
tory. Under the ownership of Tata Group since January 2022, the and it is wholly feasible that Air India will
new owners, have stamped their intent to transform the airline decide to operate both types for its low cost
with the massive order for 470 jetliners, unprecedented in Indian carrier operations.
aviation history. India has historically been a single-aisle jetliner In November 2022, Singapore Airlines (SIA)
market but the Air India order also has a sizeable number of announced that it would merge the full-ser-
twin-aisle aircraft. vice carrier Vistara with Air India. The merger
Air India has signed letters of intent (LOI) for 210 Airbus A320/321 is expected to be completed by March 2024.
Neos, 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s At the time of the announcement, The Tata
and 10 Boeing 777-9s. Air India’s A350s will be powered by Rolls- Sons owned 51 per cent stake in Vistara,
Royce engines, while its B777/787s will be powered by engines while 49 per cent rested with SIA. Vistara also
from GE Aerospace. All the single-aisle aircraft will be powered recently announced that it had achieved its
by engines from CFM International. Air India is the first Indian first net profit (since inception) for the quarter
carrier to have placed orders for the A350 and 777X. that ended December 2022. The airline cur-
rently has a fleet of 53 aircraft, comprised of

In Growth Mode 42 A320neo, six A321, two Boeing 737-800NG
and three 787-9 Dreamliners.
Since its takeover by Tata Group, Air India has rapidly acceler-
ated plans to transform the airline, moving rapidly to consolidate Vistara recently become the first airline in
its airline operations, which currently encompass four different India to induct the A321LR (Long Range)
brands in Air India and Vistara, which operate as full service into its fleet. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive
carriers, while Air India Express and Air Asia India are low cost Officer, Vistara, said, the addition of the new
carriers. type, reiterated Vistara’s stronger focus on
international expansion, and enabled the air-
Air India announced in May 2022, that it would acquire Air Asia line to offer longer range connectivity to its
India and merge it with Air India Express. At the time of the customers. Vistara’s A321LRs have a total of
announcement, 84 per cent of Air Asia India was owned by 188 seats in a three-class cabin configuration

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2023 | 19