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Boeing tipped to win massive Indian deal for up to 80 jets
November 12th 2021
There is increasing speculation Boeing will announce a deal for 70 to 80 737 MAX jets with Indian budget airline start-up, Akasa, giving it a crucial breakthrough in a market dominated by Airbus. Read More » Bloomberg News has reported the U.S. manufacturer was in advanced talks with Akasa, which is backed by billionaire investor, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. The newswire said the start-up also had talked to Airbus about its A320neo but problems with the type’s availability had tilted the equation in Boeing’s favour. Jhunjhunwala told Bloomberg Television last month the LCC was looking at operating a fleet of 70 aircraft in four years and acquiring them on a sale-and-leaseback basis. A deal would widen Boeing’s beachhead in India where the collapse of Jet Airways means the only airline in the country with outstanding 737 MAX orders is SpiceJet. Bloomberg said the discussions were for as many as 80 aircraft, with deliveries expected to start within seven months, subject to regulatory approvals to formally start the airline.
