Indigo, India’s largest airline, recently placed an order for 500 Airbus narrow-body jets, the largest ever plane deal by number of aircraft, overtaking an earlier deal by rival Air India.
The following are the biggest plane deals, by number of aircraft.
INDIGO
500 jets, Airbus
(2023)
Recently, IndiGo agreed to buy 500 single-aisle jets from Airbus, making it the single largest order of any aircraft. The order is expected to include the popular A320neo family of planes, including the longer range A321XLRs which will help expand its network into Europe and deeper into South-East Asia.
The airline hopes to take deliveries of the jets from 2030 to 2035.
AIR INDIA
470 jets, Airbus and Boeing
(2023)
Air India also recently finalised an order for 470 jetliners that includes 250 planes from Airbus and 220 from Boeing, with options for buying 70 more from the latter company.
The Tata-owned airline’s order comprises 400 narrow-body and 70 wide-body planes. Air India is expected to take delivery of the first few wide-body Airbus A350 jets by the end of the year.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
460 jets, Airbus and Boeing
(2011)
American Airlines in 2011 placed orders with Airbus and Boeing for a total of 460 airliners.
The airline placed an initial order for 260 Airbus A320 aircraft with an option to buy an additional 365 for a possible total order of 625.
The airline also placed an initial order with Boeing for 200 units of its 737 family of aircraft, with options to buy an additional 100.
INDIGO PARTNERS
430 jets, Airbus
(2017)
Private equity firm from the United States, Indigo Partners, in 2017 placed an order for 430 Airbus A320neo jets for the four carriers in which airline pioneer Bill Franke’s investment firm has a stake – US-based Frontier Airlines, Mexico’s Volaris, Chilean carrier JetSmart and Hungary’s Wizz.
INDIGO
300 jets, Airbus
(2019)
IndiGo in 2019 placed an order for 300 of Airbus’s A320neo family of planes.
INDIGO PARTNERS
255 jets, Airbus
(2021)
Franke’s Indigo Partners in 2021 placed an order for 255 Airbus A321neo jets in the first major fleet purchase since Covid-19, betting on a quick snapback in tourist travel after the pandemic.
INDIGO
250 jets, Airbus
(2015)
India’s biggest airline in 2015 finalised an order for 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft.
UNITED AIRLINES
200 jets, Boeing
(2022)
United Airlines in December said it was ordering 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 100 Boeing 737 MAXes in a push for post-pandemic growth, replacing older, less-efficient aircraft. – Reuters
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