What Air India’s Boeing Order Means For The Carrier

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2 years ago

What was long assumed was finally made official by Air India, Boeing, and Airbus. Although Airbus ended up with a larger slice of Air India’s massive 470-plane order, Boeing, too, managed to sell its latest generation narrowbodies and widebody planes, including several new 737 MAX aircraft, which will somewhat challenge the A320’s dominance in the Indian skies.

Air India has never been shy of operating a mixed fleet. But for many years, the boundaries were set – narrowbody for Airbus and widebody for Boeing. The latest order certainly departs from that rule. So how will Boeing be positioned in Air India’s fleet over the next decade? Let’s have a look!

Major order

Of the 470 planes that Air India has ordered, 220 have landed in Boeing’s kitty. US President Joe Biden himself announced the order after a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signaling the importance of the deal.

Photo: Boeing

For Boeing, this could be seen as a major win, especially after all the negative coverage it has received in the last few years. Its CEO, Stan Deal, commented,

“Air India’s selection of Boeing’s family of passenger jets shows their confidence in our products and services in the world’s fastest growing aviation market, and their decision will support engineering and manufacturing jobs at Boeing factories in Washington state, South Carolina and across our supply base.

“With the industry-leading fuel efficiency of the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X, Air India is well positioned to achieve its expansion plans and become a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.”

Air India has decided to invest in 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliners, and 10 777X aircraft from Boeing. The agreement also includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s. So, how will these planes feature in the carrier’s overall fleet and network strategy?

737 MAX

Air India’s 737 MAX order will include 737-8 and 737-10 models, with a range of 3,500 and 3,100 nautical miles, respectively. But the planes will probably not feature in Air India’s full-service operations. Instead, they’ll likely find home in its low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express, which already operates an all-Boeing-737 fleet and will soon merge with AIX Connect.

Photo: Boeing

The significant MAX order certainly adds to Boeing’s increasing presence in India’s narrowbody segment, with SpiceJet and now Akasa Air also relying on the type. But the MAXs will most likely fly short to medium-haul international routes operated by Air India Express.

Continued reliance on Boeing widebodies

For the first time, Air India has invested in a significant widebody order with Airbus, with 40 A350s. But where does it leave Boeing, its oldest partner in widebody operations?

Boeing will continue to feature heavily in Air India’s widebody network. The carrier already has 27 Dreamliners in its fleet and more than 30 777s. The 20 additional 787s and 10 777X will eventually add to that number and replace some planes, which will be phased out over the next decade.

Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis I Shutterstock

But the newer 787-9s have the advantage of a longer range, which the smaller 787-8s lack. Air India currently uses its Dreamliners to fly to Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. The Delhi-Washington, DC route is the only exception, but it stretches the plane to its absolute limits.

It remains to be seen where Air India’s new 787-9s will be deployed, particularly when the carrier has also ordered the long-range A350s. But they could happily co-exist on the carrier’s India-US network, which is only expected to grow massively in the coming years.

This leaves us with the 777X. Boeing calls it the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet. Indeed, it will be the largest airplane in Air India’s fleet, featuring spacious cabins best suited for long flights.

Photo: Boeing

Air India will likely reserve these giants to its most crowded routes in North America, given its larger cabins and passenger capacity, but other popular destinations, such as London, couldn’t be ruled out.

Of course, there’s still time before we find out exactly how Boeing will feature in Air India’s future network strategy. But this time, it will have to share the carrier’s widebody and long-haul space with Airbus.

How do you place Boeing in Air India’s future plans? Please leave a comment below.

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