Gulf carriers are seeking earlier Boeing and Airbus deliveries as order books tighten

Dubai: Airlines in the Gulf are looking to snap up earlier delivery slots for Boeing Co. and Airbus SE aircraft that may be freed up as Air India Ltd. discusses potentially deferring some orders, according to people familiar with the matter.

Carriers including Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and Saudi Arabia’s national airline Saudia are in talks with the planemakers to obtain delivery positions as early as 2029 and 2030, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private negotiations.

Etihad is close to securing about a half-dozen, near-term Boeing 787 Dreamliner slots currently held by Air India, according to one of the people. The talks between the planemakers and airlines are preliminary, and no agreements have been finalised, the people said.

Air India hasn’t deferred any aircraft orders or delivery slots with Boeing or Airbus, and its fleet modernisation program remains on track, a spokesperson for the carrier said in an emailed response to questions. Air India didn’t respond to a follow-up asking whether discussions on these fronts were underway with the manufacturers.

Airbus said it doesn’t comment on customers’ delivery pipelines. Boeing said it defers such questions to buyers. Etihad and Saudia didn’t reply to requests for comment.

Air India is figuring out ways to streamline its network and postpone expansion plans as its majority owner, the Tata Group, pushes the carrier to rein in record losses, people familiar with the matter said earlier.

Etihad Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said in an interview last month that the United Arab Emirates’ national carrier secured earlier delivery positions for some Boeing and Airbus aircraft as other carriers postponed or canceled commitments.

With order books for the most popular Airbus and Boeing jets stretching well into the next decade, near-term delivery slots have become highly coveted by airlines looking to modernise fleets and expand their route networks.

Air India previously acquired more than 50 Boeing 737 Max jets originally built for Chinese airlines, along with Airbus A350 widebody jets once earmarked for Russia’s Aeroflot.