Air India in talks with Boeing to take 10 planes snubbed by Chinese airlines, sources say

Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah and Abhijith Ganapavaram

Thu, Apr 24, 2025, 10:34 AM 2 min read

By Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah and Abhijith Ganapavaram

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Air India is successful talks with U.S. planemaker Boeing to get astir 10 737 MAX jets aft Chinese customers started rejecting deliveries amid a commercialized warfare with the United States, 2 radical acquainted with the discussions told Reuters.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said connected Wednesday that "due to the tariffs, galore of our customers successful China person indicated that they volition not instrumentality delivery", and the institution could redirect jets to different customers successful need.

The United States and China, the globe's 2 largest economies, person each imposed duties exceeding 100% connected the other.

Two sources, who declined to beryllium named arsenic the discussions are private, said Air India was seeking astir 10 narrowbody planes from Boeing for its fund bearer Air India Express, which has a fleet of much than 100 aircraft.

Air India, Air India Express and Boeing did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

"Air India is precise funny ... if the woody goes through, the planes are expected to beryllium added to the fleet by extremity of the year," the archetypal idiosyncratic said, adding the talks were successful aboriginal stages.

Air India Express has antecedently taken achromatic process craft - oregon jets manufactured for 1 lawsuit but acquired by another.

A 3rd root acquainted with talks betwixt Air India and Boeing said immoderate quality successful pitchy configuration betwixt its fleet and the incoming planes meant for Chinese customers whitethorn beryllium factored into terms negotiations.

The determination could beryllium a boost to Air India's enlargement plans arsenic the group's maturation has been constrained by a deficiency of caller aircraft.

Last month, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the hose was a "victim of circumstance," referring to transportation delays plaguing Boeing and Airbus.

(Reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram, Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah; Editing by Hugh Lawson)