Boeing inks deal for 205 planes with Indian airline SpiceJet

NEW DELHI, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Indian airline SpiceJet has signed a deal to purchase up to 205 airplanes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing, the company announced Friday.

The deal includes 100 new Boeing 737 Max 8 airliners, plus a current order for 42 of the same planes still in production and 13 new 737 Max airliners. The deal includes SpiceJet securing the right to 50 more planes in the future.

SpiceJet is India's fourth-largest airliner and flies an exclusive Boeing fleet.

"We are honored to build upon more than a decade of partnership with SpiceJet with their commitment of up to 205 airplanes," said Boeing Vice Chairman Ray Conner. "The economics of the 737 MAXs will allow SpiceJet to profitably open new markets, expand connectively within India and beyond, and offer their customers a superior passenger experience."

The first of the 737s will be delivered to SpiceJet in 2018, Boeing said.

"This is the largest deal for SpiceJet, it's one of the largest in Indian aviation and is the largest for Boeing in India," SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh told the BBC. "We are now in a very good position to expand our network and operations, which includes both domestic and international routes and destinations."