Pence wants to visit SpiceJet office?

■ Airline had placed $22bn order with US firm Boeing

US vice-president Mike Pence has expressed a desire to visit the office of Indian private carrier SpiceJet in Gurgaon near New Delhi during his India trip which he is planning, sources in the airline have confirmed.

The desire to visit the office was made by Mr Pence during a meeting with SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh, sources said. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump had referred to the huge aircraft order placed by

◗ US President Donald Trump had referred to the order placed by SpiceJet with with Boeing, saying the huge order would ‘support thousands of American jobs’

SpiceJet with with US aviation giant Boeing, saying the huge order would “support thousands of American jobs”.

SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said his airline has placed an order for up to 205 planes with Boeing. “This is a $22 billion order and these planes will be manufactured in the US. As per the US department of commerce, it creates 1,32,000 high-skilled, high-paid American jobs within the US,” he said. Mr Pence told Mr Singh that the SpiceJet-Boeing deal was extensively discussed in the ModiTrump meeting.

At a function in the US, Mr Pence said, “American companies are already providing airport infrastructure and the airplanes themselves. I just had the chance to meet with the CEO of SpiceJet who just last week placed an order for 40 brand new Boeing jets, on top of 100 new jets it ordered earlier this year.”

The US vice-president said, “I know that American companies are going to continue to give India’s aviation industry the wings it needs to soar. And let me just take the opportunity, as the President did yesterday, to say thank you to SpiceJet for investing and believing in American workers and American businesses.”