French aerospace giant Airbus has landed the biggest-ever aircraft order in the history of commercial aviation with budget Indian airline IndiGo for 500 of its A320 planes. The planes are to be delivered between 2030 and 2035. The new deal brings the total number of Airbus planes IndiGo has ordered to 1,330.
In February, Air India ordered more than 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing (BA). The agreement was the largest ever plane deal by number of aircraft. However, it was surpassed on June 19 by IndiGo’s order for 500 Airbus narrowbody jets.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on June 20 said that Airbus’s multi-billion-dollar deal with IndiGo to supply 500 aircraft is a major boost for the UK aerospace sector, which will benefit from billions of pounds in investment and thousands of new jobs.
Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, in a statement said that the June 19 order would help the company “fulfill its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India.” Three quarters of IndiGo’s flights travel to domestic destinations. In India, Elbers added, “an expanding economy and rising disposable incomes continue to add millions of first-time flyers to a booming aviation market.”
