Indian (Airlines) signs deal to buy 43 Airbus planes

Indian (Airlines) signs deal to buy 43 Airbus planes

The state owned Airline Company Indian has finally signed on a deal with the European manufacturer Airbus to buy 43 planes. This deal is a part of the Indian’s plan to expand their fleet to face the growing competition in the domestic market. The Indian government had already cleared the proposal.

The Indian domestic airline market has seen a massive boom ever since private budget operators like Air Deccan, GoAir, and Kingfisher Airlines started their operations. This put added pressure on the government owned carrier to expand their aging fleet and get competitive. Chairperson and Managing Director Sushma Chawla added on this deal: “Our challenge is to modernize and grow while delivering a world class service.”

The agreement saw Indian placing a confirmed order of 43 new aircraft. All of these would come from the Airbus A320 family. The order includes 19 A319s, 4 A320s, and 20 A321s. Airbus Senior Vice President (Marketing) Kiran Rao added: “This commitment rejuvenates a partnership between Airbus and Indian Airlines that began over 30 years ago and which is now set to continue in future.”

The delivery would begin in the last quarter of next year and should be complete by 2010.