India’s Tata Group privatized Air India which was India’s national airline for close to a century.
On February 14, executives in the company announced the single-largest airplane purchase ever — 220 jets from Boeing and 250 from Airbus. Although the price was not made public, industry experts estimate the cost at about $85 billion. Additionally, under the deal, there is an option to purchase 70 more aircraft from Boeing.
This move will be remembered as the largest aircraft order in history. It will significantly improve India’s image on the global platform as an emerging leader in the commercial aviation sector.
The White House was the first to announce the deal with Boeing, releasing a statement from President Joe Biden describing the deal as evidence of a strong economic partnership between the U.S. and India.
“This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree,” President Joe Biden said after the deal. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi “for your confidence in France and our industry.” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal will support jobs across the country, grow the economy and “level up the UK.”
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
