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Boeing welcomed Indian government approval of state carrier Air India's purchase of 68 planes on Thursday but declined to set a delivery calendar for the orders.
"We are quite pleased with the Indian government's decision, and we're looking forward to the whole conclusion of the transaction," Dinesh Keskar, Boeing's commercial aircraft sales director, said.
Keskar declined to comment on a delivery calendar or the value of the deal.
"We do not comment on the price but we'll make some comments after the signature of the deal. The price is still in discussions," the source said.
An Air India source said the total deal was worth about Rs 350 billion, or $8 billion.
The 68 aircraft include 50 long-range jets for Air India and 18 for its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, which was launched earlier this year, said Air India spokesman Jitender Bhargava. The 18 737-800s for the budget carrier were added after Air India's board decided in April to award a $7 billion contract to Boeing over European rival manufacturer Airbus Industries.
The deal was cleared today at a meeting in New Delhi of top aviation and finance ministry officials and came after Airbus executives in April complained that the India government had favoured Boeing.
Air India said it expected the planes to be delivered over a period of 10 years starting in 2006, during which it plans to increase seat capacity by 12 percent annually. But Boeing's Keskar said: "We do not speculate on the calendar at this point. If Air India gave a calendar, it's because they're impatient to receive our planes!"
"We are quite pleased with the Indian government's decision, and we're looking forward to the whole conclusion of the transaction," Dinesh Keskar, Boeing's commercial aircraft sales director, said.
Keskar declined to comment on a delivery calendar or the value of the deal.
"We do not comment on the price but we'll make some comments after the signature of the deal. The price is still in discussions," the source said.
An Air India source said the total deal was worth about Rs 350 billion, or $8 billion.
The 68 aircraft include 50 long-range jets for Air India and 18 for its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, which was launched earlier this year, said Air India spokesman Jitender Bhargava. The 18 737-800s for the budget carrier were added after Air India's board decided in April to award a $7 billion contract to Boeing over European rival manufacturer Airbus Industries.
The deal was cleared today at a meeting in New Delhi of top aviation and finance ministry officials and came after Airbus executives in April complained that the India government had favoured Boeing.
Air India said it expected the planes to be delivered over a period of 10 years starting in 2006, during which it plans to increase seat capacity by 12 percent annually. But Boeing's Keskar said: "We do not speculate on the calendar at this point. If Air India gave a calendar, it's because they're impatient to receive our planes!"
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