Air India and Interglobe Aviation, operator of IndiGo, have been given the nod by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to import aircraft, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) announced in a statement on July 31.
The press release said Air India and Interglobe Aviation have been granted in-principle approval for import of 470 and 500 aircraft, respectively.
The statement also said that the cost of acquiring these aircraft, which is a commercial transaction between the airline and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), is not available with it.
Availability of parking slots is ensured at the time of grant of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for actual import of aircraft, the Ministry’s statement said. As per the induction plan of the airlines, the aircraft are proposed to be imported during 2023-2035.
According to Air India’s plans, it is seeking to import a total of 210 A320 Neo aircraft, 140 B737 aircraft, 40 A350 aircraft, 10 B777-9 aircraft, 20 B787-9 aircraft, and 50 B737-8 aircraft.
Indigo is aiming to import 500 A320 Neo aircraft.