Air India ordered 840 planes, including 370 optional buys, from Airbus, Boeing

Airbus order was for 210 A-320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000 while the Boeing order was for 190 737-Max, 20 787s and 10 777s, airline officials said.

Air India has ordered a total of 840 planes from Airbus and Boeing including 370 optional buys, said Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer of the airline, said, in his social media post on Thursday. "The order comprises 470 firm aircraft, 370 options and purchase rights to be procured from Airbus and Boeing over the next decade. The Airbus firm order comprises 210 A-320/321 Neo/XLR and 40 A350-900/1000. The Boeing firm order comprises 190 737-Max, 20 787s and 10 777s. We have also signed up for long-term maintenance of the engines with CFM International, Rolls- Royce and GE Aerospace," he said on LinkedIn.

In this file photo dated Monday, March 2, 2020, Air India planes are parked at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)

"It is indeed a landmark moment in the history of Air India and Indian aviation. This order of 840 aircraft has been a culmination of a fascinating journey that began almost two years ago starting with the Air India privatisation process."

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Aggarwal stated that the aircraft order demonstrates the vision and aspiration of Tata Group to transform Air India into a world class airline and connect India 'non-stop' to every major city in the world. "This order is also a testament to the tremendous economic potential unleashed by the Air India privatisation."

"We would like to thank the teams at Airbus, Boeing, CFM, GE and Rolls Royce for their wonderful support during the campaign. We are proud to have built deep relationships and laid solid foundation for long-lasting partnerships."

On Tuesday, United States President Joe Biden announced a 'historic agreement' between Air India and Boeing on Tuesday, with the Tata-owned airline purchasing 220 aircraft from the American aviation major.

This is Boeing's third biggest sale in terms of dollar value and second in terms of quantity.

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In a statement, echoing his political plank of reviving US industry and bring jobs back home, Biden said that the US can and will lead the world on 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 four-year college degrees," Biden said.

The same day, Air India had unveiled its modernisation plans with the acquisition of 250 aircraft from Airbus at a virtual ceremony attended by prime minister Narendra Modi and French president Emannuel Macron.

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The almost simultaneous announcement of the Boeing deal makes it a record purchase. It also reflects a strategic balancing act in which both France and the US, both among India's closest partners, get a slice of the financial pie of the Indian aviation market.