Airbus to invest $1 billion in India

On Board the A380: European aviation giant Airbus plans to invest over one billion dollars in the Indian aviation industry in the next 10 years.

The investment will cover training, setting up a maintenance facility, and a design and engineering centre.

"Airbus is committed towards India," said Airbus' chief operating officer for customer services John Leahy. "We have decided together with our partners to invest over one billion  dollar in the next ten years in Indian aviation. Now this is going to be in Airbus training, Airbus maintenance facilities and Airbus design and engineering centre here in India."

Leahy was talking to reporters on board the A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, which flew 175 passengers from Delhi to Mumbai on a promotional flight for Kingfisher Airlines.

Kingfisher, owned by the UB Group which also controls the country's top brewer and spirits maker, has placed an order for five A380 aircraft and has an option for five more.

Its chairman and CEO Vijay Mallya said the airline is in talks with Airbus for more planes, including exercising the option.

Airbus, part of the EADS group, has said it expects Indian firms to place orders for 1,100 passenger and freighter aircraft valued at about $105 billion over 20 years.