Airbus in talks with Tata for deal on A350XWB aircraft

Airbus, the European aircraft maker, is in negotiations with Tata Group and Indian carriers about purchasing its wide-body A350XWB jets, according to Remi Maillard, President and MD of Airbus India & South Asia.

The Tata Group carriers run four Indian carriers, i.e., Air India, Air India Express, Vistara, and AirAsia India. 

Wide-bodied aircraft such as A350XWB have larger fuel tanks that enable them to travel long distances compared to narrow-bodied aircraft like A320NEO. Th A350XWB can travel above 8,000 nautical miles with a flying time of approximately 18 hours in one flight. 

When asked if Airbus was in talks with Tata and Indian carries for the A350XWB deal, Maillard explained they are in talks with all the airlines. The latest owner of Air India are existing customers of Airbus. 

While at the press conference, Maillard stated that Tatas have Vistara and AirAsia India. They have developed a long-standing, trustful and respected relationship with the Tata Group. 

In September, the Union government sold the Air India and Air India Express to the Tata Group. Tatas is also an Airbus partner in the defence business, Maillard stated.

He highlighted industrialising and manufacturing with their C-295 military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), adding that they will continue supporting the ambition of teh Tata Group in the aviation sector across the entire spectrum. 

For the past 20 years, he claims, India's wide-body aircraft fleet has been stationary. He noted that the single-aisle aircraft fleet has multiplied by a factor of six in the same period.

Maillard noted that they anticipate a 6.2 per cent yearly average growth for the air traffic out of India. The world's average is at 3.9 per cent. He added that Airbus is 'quite bullish' on the international long-haul market out of India. 

He further added that they believe that the change they have noticed in domestic traffic over the last 20 years will now occur in the long haul market. Also, they think that the A350, a new generation aircraft, will be the trigger for the revolution in the international long-haul market. 

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