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May 2007

Airbus plans one billion dollar investment in Indian aviation

     New Delhi: European aviation giant Airbus has plans to invest over one billion dollars in the Indian aviation industry in the next 10 years. The investment would cover training, setting up a maintenance facility, and a design and engineering centre. "Airbus is committed towards India. We have decided together with our partners to invest over one billion dollars in the next ten years in Indian aviation. Now this is going to be in Airbus training, Airbus maintenance facilities and Airbus design and engineering centre, here in India," John Leahy, the Chief Operating Officer (customers) of the Airbus, told a news conference here. An Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, is in India on a promotional flight for Kingfisher Airlines. Kingfisher, owned by UB Group which also controls the country's top brewer and spirits maker, has placed an order for five A380 aircraft and has an option for five more. Kingfisher Chief Executive Vijay Mallya told reporters that his airline was in talks with Airbus for more planes, including exercising the option. Airbus, part of the EADS group, has said it expects Indian firms to place orders for 1,100 passenger and freighter aircraft valued at about 105 billion dollars over 20 years. Mallya said, Kingfisher was interested in buying low-cost carrier Air-Deccan but an offer was not imminent.
-May 8, 2007