New Delhi

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Wednesday held discussions with Airbus Chairman Rene Obermann on opportunities in India's aviation sector and the scope of enhancing cooperation with the global aerospace company.

In a social media post, the Minister said, "Welcomed the @Airbus Board, led by their Chairman, Mr. Rene Obermann to India. We had an engaging discussion on the tremendous opportunities offered by Bharat and the strong, growing partnership between Airbus and India's aviation sector."

Goyal further said that he encouraged Airbus on their plans to deepen collaboration and increase investments in India.

He added that this is a testament to the strength and potential of India's aerospace sector, which continues to attract global interest.

The discussions are seen as a step forward in further strengthening India's aviation industry and boosting its position as a hub for aerospace innovation and manufacturing.

Last year, Air India placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft, including A321neo.

In 2023, IndiGo's board also placed an order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft, making it the biggest order in its history.

The purchase agreement was signed on June 19 at the Paris Air Show 2023 in the presence of Chairman of the Board of IndiGo V Sumantran, CEO of IndiGo Pieter Elbers, CEO of Airbus Guillaume Faury, and, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Christian Scherer.

The deliveries for these aircrafts will be done between 2030 and 2035. This 500 aircraft order was not only IndiGo's largest order but also the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with Airbus.

Airbus is a leading European aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures, and delivers commercial aircraft, helicopters, military aircraft, satellites, and space systems.

Airbus is the world's largest manufacturer of passenger aircraft, producing popular models like the A320 family, A330, A350, and the A380, which is the world's largest passenger plane.

Airbus competes mainly with the American company Boeing in the global aviation market.

In India, Airbus has been working with airlines, providing aircraft, and also collaborating on manufacturing, maintenance, and training projects to support the growing aviation sector.

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Recently, Air India and Airbus have set up an advanced pilot training center at the Air India Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, Haryana. The state-of-the-art facility will train more than 5,000 new pilots over the next decade to support the exponential growth of commercial aviation in the country.