On 14 February 2023 , Air India made an announcement of a 470-plane order with Airbus and Boeing in what stood to be the largest purchase in commercial aviation history. But, the record did not stand long, as Indian Low-cost carrier IndiGo bettered it with an order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft in a record deal in June this year.
Acknowledging the development in Indian Civil Aviation sector, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted in-principle approval to Air India and IndiGo for the import of 470 and 500 aircraft, respectively.
Indigo purchase agreement was signed on June 19 at the Paris Air Show 2023 in the presence of top officials of the airline and Airbus, to solidify this landmark deal..
As part of their expansion plans, both carriers have placed huge aircraft orders. While Air India will acquire 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, IndiGo is to buy 500 planes from Airbus.
"Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted in-principle approval to Air India Ltd and Interglobe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo) for import of 470 and 500 aircraft, respectively," Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Government of India clarified that the details of the aircraft approved for import by the DGCA are available , but information regarding the cost of acquisition of these aircraft, being of commercial nature between the airline and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), is not available.
Air India's order for Boeing airplanes includes 190 737 Max jets, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 10 widebody 777X planes for a total of 220 aircraft.
Replying a query, Mr Singh said the availability of parking slots is ensured at the time of grant of NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the actual import of aircraft.
"As per the induction plan of the airlines, the aircraft are proposed to be imported during the period 2023-2035. The airline operators have been advised by DGCA to share their induction plan with airport operators for ensuring the availability of parking slots," he added.
In a separate written reply, the minister said the current fleet size of aircraft endorsed on the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) of the scheduled operators in the country is 729.
"As per the information received by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the total fleet size of the major domestic airlines in the country is expected to be approximately 1,600 in the next seven years," he added.
Indian Government believes , India is going to be the world's third-largest market in the aviation sector in the upcoming years. Over the next 15 years, it's estimated that India will need more than 2,000 aircraft
