Air India seeks to capitalize on China-U.S. conflict and targets aircraft returned to Boeing
In its ongoing push for accelerated modernization, Air India is looking to acquire Boeing aircraft that were originally intended for Chinese airlines, but later rejected following the tariff hike imposed by Donald Trump.
The Indian flag carrier is undergoing a major transformation since its privatization and acquisition by the Tata Group, in partnership with Singapore Airlines. Among the most notable changes are its new corporate image and the ambitious aircraft orders placed with Airbus and Boeing, according to our partner outlet, AEROIN.
In recent years, Air India has already taken in 41 Boeing 737 MAX jets that were initially bound for Chinese airlines but were never delivered due to delays in the model’s certification in China. Now, the situation has worsened due to trade policies initiated during Trump’s presidency, which led Beijing to block the acceptance of new American aircraft—leaving several completed units in storage.
According to The Economic Times of India, Air India is actively negotiating with Boeing to redirect those aircraft to India, as part of its strategy to quickly strengthen and renew its fleet.
Since the cancellations came from the Chinese airlines, Boeing is unlikely to face major contractual hurdles in reassigning the aircraft.
However, negotiations will still be needed with the lessors—the actual owners of the planes—as well as with the Chinese carriers themselves, to determine whether the orders were permanently canceled or merely postponed. The latter scenario could mean a long wait for a new delivery window.
Responsable English Feed en Aviacionline. Reportero gráfico.
Para comentar, debés estar registradoPor favor, iniciá sesión