By Aditi Shah and Tim Hepher<\/p>\n
BENGALURU\/PARIS, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Air India has sealed a jumbo deal for about 500 new planes worth<\/a> more than $100 billion at list prices, in what could become the single largest order by any airline as it seeks to reinvent itself under its new owners, industry sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n The deal, split equally between France’s Airbus and rival planemaker Boeing, was first reported by Reuters in December and eN<\/a> could finally be announced as early as next week, the sources said.<\/p>\n Air India has agreed to purchase 250 Airbus planes, split between 210 single-aisle A320neos and 40 widebody A350s, and 220 Boeing aircraft including 190 of its 737 MAX narrowbody jets, 20 787 widebodies and 10 777Xs.<\/p>\n While Airbus and Air India signed the agreement on Friday, Boeing agreed its deal with the airline on Jan. If you have any type of questions pertaining<\/a> to where and the best ways to use eN<\/a>, you could contact us at our web-page. 27, a date that marks a year since Tata regained ownership of the former state-run carrier, eN<\/a> sources told Reuters.<\/p>\n Airbus declined to comment.Air India did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside of regular business hours.<\/p>\n In a note to employees on Jan. 27, the airline said it was “finalising a historic order for new aircraft”.<\/p>\n The order reflects Air India’s strategy to modernise its ageing fleet and re-capture a solid share of trips between India’s large overseas diaspora and cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, dominated mainly by Gulf rivals such as Emirates with its young planes.<\/p>\n The deal for 400 narrowbodies will also allow Air India to win a bigger share of regional international traffic and the domestic market, setting up a battle on both fronts with IndiGo.<\/p>\n While the Airbus figure is slightly lower than the 275 originally envisaged, the sources did not rule out a provision by Air India for dE<\/a> top-up acquisitions or leases at a later point.<\/p>\n It was not immediately clear to what extent the numbers in the agreement included options that could change the total tally when the final orders are in.<\/p>\n The record order aims to put Air India in the league of large global airlines and make it an influential customer for planemakers and suppliers at a time when its home market is seeing a strong post-COVID-19 travel surge.<\/p>\n Air India, with its maharajah mascot, was once known for its lavishly decorated planes and stellar service but its reputation declined in the mid-2000s as financial troubles mounted.<\/p>\n