NEW DELHI, Oct 13: The Indian government on Thursday gave the formal go-ahead to state carrier Air India to buy 68 aircraft from US aviation giant Boeing in a deal worth about $8 billion, officials said.

“The government’s public investment panel met in New Delhi today and has cleared the proposal for Air India to buy 68 aircraft from Boeing,” a civil aviation ministry spokesperson said.

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 aircraft — 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 Industrie.—AFP