HYDERABAD: In a major announcement at the prestigious aviation event in Hyderabad today, India has secured its position as the world's third-largest buyer of airplanes, trailing only behind the United States and China. Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Civil Aviation Minister, made this statement while inaugurating the Wings India event on January 18.

During the event, Minister Scindia revealed the new Air India Airbus A350. He provided an overview of the significant orders placed by Indian aviation companies, emphasizing the substantial aircraft acquisitions made by IndiGo, Air India, and the recently launched Akasa airline, from both Boeing and Airbus.

Minister Scindia also shared the ambitious plans of the Modi government for the aviation sector. The goal is to increase the number of airports in the country to 200 by 2030 and achieve a milestone of 300 million passengers by the same year. He highlighted the recent robust growth in passenger traffic, signaling a positive trend in the industry.

Leading the pack, IndiGo has ordered 500 aircraft, closely followed by Air India with 470 aircraft. The newly launched Akasa airline has also made a significant entry into the race with an order exceeding 200 aircraft.

Providing details on Air India's recent orders, Minister Scindia stated that the airline placed an order for a total of 540 aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing last year. Out of these, 470 are firm orders, and the remaining 70 are options. The Airbus order includes 210 A-320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000, while the Boeing order comprises 190 737-Max, 20 787s, and 10 777s. Additionally, the agreement with Boeing allows for options on an extra 50 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s.

Highlighting the significance of the order, Minister Scindia noted that this is the most substantial Boeing order in South Asia. As part of its expansion plan, IndiGo has partnered with Turkish Airlines to extend its reach to Europe and ordered nearly 500 more aircraft from Airbus and Boeing in February of last year.

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