Air India has ordered 30 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which the OEM noted will increase the airline’s pending orders to almost 200 single-aisle and widebody jets. The new order includes 20 737-8 jets, and it includes 10 737-10 aircraft previously unidentified among Boeing's order records.
No delivery schedule was announced for the 30 aircraft.
Neither Boeing nor Air India noted the value of the booking - which is based on options acquired in a 2023 order - but it may have a value up to $4 billion based on the book values for those two models.
"This additional order for 30 Boeing 737 aircraft is part of our broader fleet strategy to position Air India firmly for the future, as a world-class global carrier that India deserves and the world expects," stated Campbell Wilson, CEO and managing director for the carrier. "Building on our 2023 orders and subsequent additions, this order supports steady deliveries and fleet upgrades planned over the next few years.”
According to a social media post by President Trump, the pending trade agreement will slash U.S. tariffs on imports from India to 18%, and India will remove all tariffs on U.S. imports, commit to a minimum of $500 billion U.S. imports, including U.S. energy and agricultural goods.
In late January India struck a bilateral trade agreement with the European Union to remove tariffs on more than 90% of goods traded between the two.
Air India is already an important Boeing customer, having ordered a total of 190 737 MAX jets (for Air India Express), 20 787 Dreamliners, and 10 777-9 aircraft as part of an overall $70-billion order with Boeing and Airbus in 2023.
The new order may be just a start as India and the U.S. are due to finalize a new bilateral agreement on trade between the two nations. Reportedly, the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal expects India’s pending demand for new U.S.-built commercial jets could be close to $80 billion under the deal.
Boeing last week released a regional market outlook for India and South Asia, projecting a 7% annual rise in passenger traffic through 2044. According to that 20-year forecast, single-aisle jets like the 737 MAX will account for nearly 90% of the nearly 3,300 new airplanes needed to meet demand in the region as airlines expand their short- and medium-haul routes.
About the Author
Robert Brooks
Content Director
Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries.