Embraer is in talks to sell 100 aircraft to IndiGo, India’s largest airline, with an option for around 50 more, according to three people familiar with the discussions. If completed, the deal could rank among the Brazilian manufacturer’s largest orders to date.

The talks are preliminary, and there is no guarantee of an agreement. The aircraft model has not been decided, and the number ultimately ordered could change, the people told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Two said deliveries would likely begin no earlier than 2030. Neither IndiGo nor Embraer immediately responded to requests for comment.

A sale of 100 jets could be worth billions of dollars at list prices, although discounts are common in aircraft deals. Embraer has been promoting its regional jets to Indian airlines. Earlier this year, it signed a non-binding agreement with Adani Defence & Aerospace to assess setting up a final assembly line in India for its older-generation E175-E1, which can carry up to 88 passengers.

The company also makes the E190-E2 and E195-E2, which have newer, more fuel-efficient engines and can carry up to 114 and 146 passengers, respectively.

An agreement with IndiGo would give Embraer a significant foothold in India’s domestic aviation market, where airlines are expanding their fleets. Star Air, a small regional carrier, is currently the only Indian airline operating Embraer jets.

Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said in March that the proposed Indian assembly line depended on orders for at least 200 aircraft. He said planes assembled in India could begin deliveries in 2028 if orders were secured by the end of that year.

For IndiGo, Embraer aircraft could help expand regional routes and replace some of its ATR turboprops, allowing it to offer more seats on existing routes. CEO Willie Walsh, who took the role in August, has said the airline plans to expand long-haul flying without compromising its low-cost short-haul operation.

IndiGo aims to grow its fleet to around 600 aircraft by 2030, from 442 in September. Its fleet consists mainly of Airbus narrow-body jets and also includes 44 ATR turboprops.

Sources: Folha Mercado.