In a largest aircraft acquisition, IndiGo orders 250 A320neos airplanes

Paris: Indian airline IndiGo has ordered 250 A320neo next-generation planes, Airbus announced on Monday, the aviation giant's largest ever order by number. The low-cost Indian operator is already a loyal Airbus customer, having previously ordered 280 planes from the European firm.

At list prices, the jets would cost $26 billion, though customers usually negotiate discounts.Several Asian low-cost carriers are building up fleets amid growing demand. IndiGo's president Aditya Ghosh said the order would allow his company to further develop low-cost travel in India and abroad.

The purchase of the single-aisle A320neo planes confirms a draft deal signed in October. The A320neo is an upgraded, more fuel-efficient version of Airbus' popular A320 jets, usually used on mid-range flights. "This new order further reaffirms IndiGo's commitment to the long-term development of affordable air transportation in India and overseas," IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh said in a statement.

For decades, Indians depended on the nation's bone-jolting railways to travel but cheap air fares have encouraged tens of millions of increasingly affluent Indians to fly. International tourism in the region is also booming. Airbus called it the company's biggest ever order by number of jets.