Working Closely With India For Operational, Mission Readiness Of Defence Forces: Boeing
Aerospace major Boeing said it is working closely with India to enable operational capabilities and mission readiness for its defence forces.
"We are working closely with our partners in India to enable exceptional operational capabilities and mission readiness for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy," Boeing India said in a tweet on Thursday.
Its C-17 fleet has over 31,000 flying hours, its P-8I fleet over 35,000 flying hours, and many more flying and training hours across platforms, the tweet said.
Air India, which will buy 250 aircraft from Airbus, just selected Boeing for the purchase of up to 290 planes as part of its growth strategy.
Air India selected 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X Boeing airplanes. The agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s aircrafts.
Boeing said when finalized, this will be its largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company's nearly 90-year partnership with Air India.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House that the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through an agreement between Air India and Boeing reflects the strength of the US-India economic partnership.
"The United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing. I am proud to announce today the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through a historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree," the statement said.
Air India was looking for a remix of aircraft to boost their domestic and international network through recent orders. Soon after the divestment of the airline, CEO Campbell Wilson announced in a speech to AI employees that the airline is going for a historic order.
The day Boeing's deal with Air India was made public -- Tuesday, the US-based aviation major projected India's long-term air passenger growth rate of nearly 7 per cent annually through 2041.
It its 2022 Commercial Market Outlook for India, it said the growth will be largely driven by the strength of the domestic market, which has recovered to 98 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Boeing said India's air traffic has transitioned from recovery to growth.
Further, it said India will require approximately 2,210 new airplanes over the next two decades of which 1,983 units will be for single-aisle jets, while 227 units or 10 per cent of new airplane deliveries will be for widebody airplanes.
For the cargo segment, it said the India cargo market will also continue to expand over the next two decades to meet demand.
The cargo fleet will grow from about 15 airplanes today to about 80 airplanes by 2041. These, it said, will predominantly be the converted narrow-body sized aircraft to support the domestic market.
