The historic deal wherein Air India signed a pact with Boeing to buy 220 planes was hailed by US President Joe Biden, who said he was looking forward to deepening the ties between India and the US together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This came as Boeing and Air India reached an agreement which will see the Tata Group-owned company purchasing aircraft including 190 B737 MAX, 20 B787, and 10 B777X for USD 34 billion from the aviation giant Boeing. The deal includes 40 A350 wide-body ultra-long-range aircraft and 210 narrowbody planes.
In a call with Modi on Tuesday, Biden said the "landmark" deal will create up to 1 million jobs across 44 states in the US in which many will not require a four-year college degree.
The Air India order is Boeing's third biggest sale ever in dollar value and second, in terms of the number of planes, reported PTI.
Biden and Modi also reaffirmed the strength of the US-India relationship and committed to continue working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth for our two countries and expand cooperation.
Air India's pact with Airbus to buy 250 aircraft was welcomed by United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who called it a "momentous deal for Airbus and Rolls-Royce." "The deal will support and create highly skilled jobs in Wales and Derbyshire and help boost exports and grow the economy," said an official statement.
"The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch have welcomed a momentous deal for Airbus and Rolls-Royce to provide new aircraft for Air India, which is worth billions of pounds to the UK," UK's Department for International Trade said in a press release.
A significant portion of the manufacturing process for the new aircraft is expected to take place in the UK.
Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually attended the launch of the new Air India-Airbus partnership. Expressing his gratitude to the French President for participating in the launch of the Air India-Airbus partnership, Modi said the deal shows the "deepening ties" between India and France and reflection of India’s successes and expectations in the civil aviation sector.
"The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you@NarendraModi, for your confidence in France and our industry," tweeted Macron.
Highlighting ties between India and France, PM Modi said, "Whether it is the issue of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, or global food security and health security, India and France together are making a positive contribution."