Airbus Targets India for ACJ TwoTwenty Sales Growth

India has emerged as a top Asian market target for Airbus Corporate Jets’ ACJ TwoTwenty bizliner. The manufacturer expects the aircraft’s profile to increase in the continent after Malaysia-based AirAsia ordered 150 of the ACJ’s A220-300 airliner sibling on May 6.

“India’s aviation upswing is unmistakable, and business aviation is riding the same curve,” Airbus Corporate Jets president Chadi Saade told AIN. He pointed to the country’s tally of more than 200 billionaires who need the capacity provided by business jets for both regional flights and multi-stop trips along popular corridors such as India-UK.

“Our ACJ TwoTwenty is carving out its own extra‑large business jet niche, offering airline‑level efficiency, a spacious cabin and operating costs 20% to 30% lower than traditional large business jets, despite having similar parking needs," Saade said. “At high‑altitude, challenging airports like Kathmandu [in Nepal], we gain a clear edge on reliability and takeoff performance.”

According to Saade, Airbus Corporate Jets gives VIP buyers dedicated access to preallocated production slots, sidestepping long backlogs and enabling faster deliveries from its factory in Montreal. Three ACJ TwoTwentys are already operating in the Middle East, and there are expectations that the first Asian delivery—of an ACJ now being completed—could go to an owner in either Indonesia or Malaysia.

Further ACJ TwoTwenty deliveries to Asia should follow in 2027 and 2028, with one of these understood to be heading to India. For now, India’s 40 percent import tax and bureaucratic hurdles mean that many buyers based there choose to use offshore registries for their business jets.

“In India, we are also seeing demand for shuttle services for the A320/A350 class fitted with full business class seats for hotel chains, travel companies, and sports teams,” Saade explained. He said that dry lease and other bank-backed finance arrangements are readily available in Asian market, including India.

Infrastructure shortcomings, such as insufficient ramp parking space and a lack of FBOs at key airports in Mumbai and Delhi have stunted business aviation growth. However, Saade told AIN that plans for 50 new airports should ease these constraints and “unlock growth.”

Currently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials travel in a pair of Boeing 777-300ER widebodies operated by the country’s military. Government use cases like this are also a target for the Airbus Corporate Jets sales team.

The company is offering the ACJ TwoTwenty or the ACJ 319neo as an option for India’s air force to replace a quartet of Embraer Legacy 600s that have been in service for the past two decades. The manufacturer is proposing a 19-seat VIP cabin layout, and has said it can comply with India government offset requirements for 30% of the aircraft’s content to be sourced in India, with an electronics suite installed under air force supervision.