'Drop Boeings, go Airbus': Former bureaucrat wants India to hit back at Trump with $60 bn switch

A fiery exchange erupted on X after retired IAS officer Sanjay Dixit called for an all-out boycott of Boeing aircraft in response to escalating U.S. tariffs on India, suggesting domestic airlines should switch entirely to Airbus—a move he claimed would “divert over $60 billion from the USA.” But aviation veterans quickly shut the idea down as unrealistic and self-defeating.

“India’s airlines have 490-plus Boeing planes on order,” Dixit posted, naming Air India, Akasa, and Indigo. “Tell the companies Boeing commercial planes are not allowed. Change to Airbus. That’s over $60 billion diverted from USA.”

Former Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor responded bluntly, pointing out that “most Airbus aircraft have American engines”—a detail that undercuts the economic logic of Dixit’s suggestion. Pratt & Whitney and CFM International (a GE-Safran JV) power the vast majority of Airbus models sold globally.

Kapoor added: “Ok so you don't have a coherent answer. Nor do you understand the basic point: you boycott Boeing, the US could prevent their engines from being sold to India on Airbus. Net result? You figure it out.”

He dismissed the boycott call as “emotional nonsense,” warning that it could backfire spectacularly if U.S. engine exports were blocked in retaliation.

The spat comes amid growing anger in India over a new wave of U.S. tariffs and President Trump’s sharp criticism of Indian trade and energy ties with Russia. Calls for economic retaliation have surfaced on social media, but industry insiders warn that impulsive moves could jeopardize India's booming aviation sector.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing airline markets, with multi-billion-dollar fleet expansions underway. Boeing’s current and pending orders from Indian carriers form a significant part of its global backlog, but Airbus also relies on U.S. suppliers—making an outright shift unlikely without collateral damage.

The broader sentiment from aviation experts: knee-jerk boycotts won’t fly.