The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted provisional approval for Air India and IndiGo to import a combined total of 970 planes as part of their expansion plans. Air India will purchase 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, while IndiGo plans to buy 500 planes from Airbus.
Air India’s order comprises 210 planes from the A320 neo family, 140 from the B737 family, and 40 from the A350 family. Additionally, the carrier will acquire 50 B737-8s, 20 B787-9s, and 10 B777-9s.
In-principle approval to import 970 planes
On Monday, Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh announced that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given in-principle approval to Air India Ltd and IndiGo, also known as Interglobe Aviation Ltd, to import 470 and 500 aircraft, respectively.
IndiGo, on the other hand, will be acquiring 500 aircraft from the A320 neo family.
The aircraft are planned to be imported gradually between 2023 and 2035. DGCA has advised the airlines to share their induction plan with airport operators to ensure sufficient availability of parking slots.
At present, the total fleet size of aircraft endorsed on the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) of scheduled operators in India is 729. However, it is expected to increase to approximately 1,600 over the next seven years, according to information received by DGCA.