For many years, Airbus has led the Indian market on the narrowbody side, with approximately a 70% market share. The pendulum has begun to swing more recently, with new entrant Akasa picking Boeing’s 737 MAX family for its fleet.

But Airbus has never gained a foothold in the widebody market - that has always been a Boeing-heavy operation. Widebodies, generally, are not particularly prolific in India, with only Vistara and Air India flying any at all. But that’s all set to change with the huge order from Air India today, as Airbus finally gets a shot at the lucrative Indian long-haul market.

Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

A very significant order for Airbus

Speaking to media, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer noted the significance of the order, stating,

“Airbus is very happy to receive a mega order like this. We're particularly happy that we're making such major inroads in the world's fastest-growing aviation market with the A350.

“We had no Airbus widebody flying with Indian colors so far, and we're making a very forceful entry into this market at a point in time when India and its flag carrier Air India, now owned by the formidable Tata and Sons company, is making inroads in the intercontinental market so forcefully. So for them to have chosen as their future flagship, the A350, in particular the A350-1000, is extremely gratifying for us.”

Airbus added that the first six A350s will be A350-900s, aircraft that are already built and were destined to go to Aeroflot. These will be rapidly turned around into Air India colors, and should arrive with the carrier before the end of this year. The rest of the huge 40-plane order will comprise the larger A350-1000 and will likely start delivering in 2025 or so.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The A350 will be Air India’s flagship

Notable is that although Airbus pegs its A350 as the ‘flagship’ of the future Air India fleet, the airline has also laid claim to something slightly bigger too. The Boeing 777X will be the largest aircraft in the fleet, but with only ten ordered, will it be able to usurp the A350 as the crown aircraft of the Tata’s stable?

Scherer thinks not, noting that the small order size speaks volumes regarding the importance of the different aircraft types. In a fleet that will number in excess of 500 aircraft within a few years, the 2% 777X element becomes less significant.

Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

While it will be cool to see the big Boeing twin in AI colors, the Airbus jets will dominate the long-haul operations of the airline. Besides, as Scherer noted to Simple Flying, the A350 has some significant benefits to bring,

“An order of 34 -1000s is a solid anchor of intercontinental capability … the A350-1000 is an airplane that, every time it takes off, is 35 tonnes lighter than its equivalent triple seven. It's not surprising that that should be considered as the logical flagship of choice.

“Economic efficiency and, of course, the carbon emission benefits that come with it is most relevant and most noticeable on long-range aircraft because that's where fuel burn becomes so relevant, and so important.”

Even with the addition of 20 Dreamliners, the A350 will be the first new widebodies at Air India, and the most prevalent for some time to come.

Are you excited to see the A350 joining Air India’s fleet? Let us know what you think in the comments below.