Why Is The Air India Aircraft Order Such A Big Deal?

 Air India unveiled deals on Tuesday for a record 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing. Here are ten things to know about this mega-development in India's aviation sector. The deals include 220 planes from Boeing and 250 from Airbus and eclipse previous records for a single airline as Air India vies with domestic giant IndiGo to serve what will soon be the world's largest population. The Airbus order includes 210 A320neo narrowbody planes and 40 A350 widebody aircraft, which Air India will use to fly "ultra-long routes", Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran said. Boeing will supply 190 737 MAX, 20 of its 787 Dreamliners, and 10 mini-jumbo 777X. Together with another 25 Airbus jets to be leased, the overall acquisition reaches 495 jets, an Airbus executive said. Chandrasekaran said Airbus and Tata were working on bigger partnerships, including an ambition "to bring in commercial aircraft manufacturing at some point in time in the future". Air India's order tops American Airlines' combined deal for 460 Airbus and Boeing planes more than a decade ago. The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 brand-new Boeing 737 MAX planes and six Airbus A350s in the second half of 2023, with deliveries really ramping up in 2025 and beyond. The deal includes a major win for engine maker CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and France's Safran. It has been selected to power 210 Airbus narrowbody jets ahead of rival Pratt & Whitney, while bigger jets will be powered by GE or Britain's Rolls-Royce.