London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

Airbus and Rolls-Royce benefit as Air India makes record order for new planes

Airbus and Rolls-Royce benefit as Air India makes record order for new planes

The PM says the "landmark" deal will contribute to efforts on growing economic ties with India.

Airbus and Rolls-Royce have secured contracts to support a record order for new planes by Air India.

The order, for 220 Boeing and 250 Airbus aircraft over several years, will benefit both Airbus and engine supplier Rolls-Royce in the UK, the government said.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said the wings, designed by Airbus at Filton near Bristol, will be assembled at the company's Broughton site in North Wales.

Rolls-Royce will provide engines for at least 40 of the aircraft.

They are assembled and tested in Derby.

Air India confirmed the order for 470 planes - the largest on record - beating the 460 aircraft ordered by American Airlines just over a decade ago.

The national flag carrier, owned by the Tata Group for just over a year, said the new planes - comprising various models - would replace its aging fleet and enable new routes to be established.

At least 40 of the planes on order are Airbus A350s, which are powered by Rolls-Royce XWB engines

The UK government had said that the deal would result in 450 new jobs being created by Airbus in the UK but the company indicated that the work would support 450 new roles it announced last year.

In a statement, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "This landmark deal between Air India, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky's the limit for the UK's thriving aerospace sector.

"The UK is already a top investment destination, and by building trade ties with growing economic powers like India we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation."

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the agreement was "another big step" as the UK seeks to negotiate a free trade deal with India.

"This is a significant win for the UK's world-leading aerospace sector and one which will help to secure thousands of highly skilled jobs across the country and drive economic growth," she said.

"It's a shot in the arm for UK exports as we aim to sell £1trn of goods and services a year to the world by the end of the decade."


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
UK Driver Sentenced to Four Years for Staged Electric Vehicle Brake Failure Fraud
Conservative Party and Reform UK Face Scrutiny During Clacton By-Election Campaign
Ministry of Justice Reviews Early Release Rules After Public Anger Over Police Killer Cases
NHS Radiographers Report Rising Racist Abuse From Patients Across UK Hospitals
UK Banking Regulators Face Pressure After Customer Loses Fourteen Thousand Pounds in AI Voice Scam
Research Challenges Treasury Control Over UK Public Spending and Calls for Greater Local Decision-Making
Home Office Begins Four-Week Weapons Surrender Campaign Across Major English Cities
Southern England Records Driest July in Nearly Two Centuries as Drought Concerns Grow
Apple Challenges UK Government Request for Access to Encrypted User Data in Legal Fight
BP Reports Sharp Profit Increase as Middle East Conflict Drives Global Oil Prices Higher
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Public Sector Automation Through Artificial Intelligence
Regional Investment Beyond London
Protection of Strategic Technology Assets
UK Competition Regulator Blocks Major Foreign Takeover of British Quantum Computing Firm
UK Government Commits Two Billion Pounds to Modernise Northern Rail Network
UK Parliament Approves Planning Reforms to Accelerate Housing Construction on Green Belt Land
Scotland Approves Major Floating Offshore Wind Expansion in the North Sea
United Kingdom and European Union Sign Defence and Critical Minerals Cooperation Agreement
NHS Invests Five Hundred Million Pounds in Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics to Reduce Waiting Lists
×