Indian airline Jet Airways is close to finalizing a deal to order fifty Airbus A220 aircraft, Reuters reported. The company’s Board of Directors is expected to gather today in order to finalize details of the move.
«We are in an advanced stage of discussions with lessors and manufacturers for aircraft, and we will announce our aircraft choice and fleet plans as we make our decisions», a Jet Airways spokesman said. «As we have said before, we are studying all possibilities to find the one that works best for us», he added.
Last June, it had been reported that the airline was close to finalizing an order for up to fifty Airbus aircraft. The total value would reach 5.5 billion dollars. While at the time it was expected that the order could include A320neo and A220 aircraft, the latest information points to an order for some fifty A220s. If it comes to fruition, it would consolidate Airbus’s dominance in the Indian domestic market, one of the most promising for the future.
The most modern narrow-body aircraft commercialized by the European manufacturer enjoys wide popularity and maintains good sales prospects. According to Airbus, in the six years of service of the two versions of the aircraft, the A220 transported 60 million passengers on more than 700 routes. Regarding its future, the company stated that it is expanding its capacity to meet the demand. The model has more than 700 firm orders.
In this context, the A220 has gained ground in markets traditionally dominated by Boeing or Embraer. Both companies also held talks with the Indian airline, which is undergoing a process of re-launching services after ceasing operations in 2019. Jet Airways recently obtained its operator’s certificate and now plans to start offering scheduled flights towards the end of this year.
It currently has six aircraft available: two Airbus A330-200s, three Boeing 737-800s and one 737-900. The average age of the fleet is 16 years. However, it still needs to add several aircraft to begin to recover its previous network.
