Air India To Order B747-8 or A380 By December

[Winglets747]

Air India is certainly moving quickly to place a VLA order before the year is over, a further testament to the growth of the Indian market. This will be very exciting for whoever wins it, although I think AI will select the 747-8.


NEW DELHI: After reviewing future traffic growth, Air India has decided to order the biggest passenger aircraft that are capable of flying over 550 travellers on the busiest global routes. The two planes that fit into this category are the A-380 and the Boeing 747-800.

"We are are going to set up a panel to examine which plane will be best suited for us," Air India chairman and managing director V Thulasidas said. The merged AI-Indian Airlines entity is going to get 111 new planes in the next four years but most of them would be used to replace old and leased aircraft.

Aviation minister Praful Patel has asked AI to firm up its additional requirement at the earliest as deliveries of orders placed even today won’t start before five years.

"Supposing they send the requirement by November, we can get the clearance by December," the aviation minister had said recently.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Busi ... 417433.cms (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/Billion_dollar_question_Will_AI_buy_A-380_or_Boeing_747-800/articleshow/2417433.cms)

[moose135]

I guess they have to keep up with Kingfisher.

[NcSchu]

Well I thought I read somewhere that Boeing said there would be no more 747-8i orders this year. To me that means Air India will go for the A380.

[Idlewild]

I agree. It's a high density airline. I don't see anything but A380's. Jet Airways airways however may be a different story. From what I understand the owner is in to comfort rather than volume. The 748 may just suit his needs, unless he wants to keep everything twin engine ETOPS.

[Mayi757]

Oh man it's Deja vu all over again. I thought BA would go 748 and now Air India. It's gonna be a year since the Lufthansa order and I much rather see the graceful 747 live on than the flying station wagon -A380.

Still don't see it though, both are downgrading using 777s and AI even with A330s now but all of the sudden they need A380s...

Here's to them pulling up an unexpected and choosing the 748i!

[Winglets747]

Oh man it's Deja vu all over again. I thought BA would go 748 and now Air India. It's gonna be a year since the Lufthansa order and I much rather see the graceful 747 live on than the flying station wagon -A380.

Still don't see it though, both are downgrading using 777s and AI even with A330s now but all of the sudden they need A380s...

Here's to them pulling up an unexpected and choosing the 748i!
It was remarked that BA's A380 order was not a matter of if, but rather how many. People's prediction of 10-15 was spot-on.

Both the 747-8 and A380 will take to the skies. Don't worry.

I'm not sure what "downgrading" AI is doing. There are payload/range issues with using a 747-400 BOM-JFK non-stop. That's where the 777-200LR comes in. Regarding new planes and adding capacity, there's no point in ordering 767s or 340s. Their only options are 777s (which they've ordered), 787s (which they've also ordered), 330s (which they've ordered), and now 748/380. Keep in mind the A330s can enter the fleet much faster than 787s. Everything AI is doing makes sense.