A jumbo deal

Air India's purchase commitment has multiple implications

Air India’s announcement that it will buy 470 new aircraft is a major decision both economically and in terms of geopolitics. It has implications for the partnerships between India, Europe and the United States, the future of the aviation sector in India, and for Air India specifically. In addition to the 250 jets to be purchased from Airbus SAS, which is based in the Netherlands but has German, French, Spanish and British ownership, Air India will lease 20 additional aircraft. It will also purchase 220 planes to be made by the US-based aviation major Boeing. The addition of almost 500 new planes, including those that are to be leased, is a major departure for the company and is the first real indication that the Tata group, which has bought it from the government, has a strategic plan for its revival.

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