New York: Ahead of next year’s election, US President Joe Biden in February termed Air India’s $34 billion order for 220 Boeing planes as a “historic” deal that will support his agenda with one million US jobs and promote its lead in technology.

He linked the orders to his domestic plans to create good jobs for the working class, noting that many of the one million jobs “will not require a four-year college degree” and will be spread across 44 states.

President Biden has been pushing for creating better-paying industrial jobs for the working class beaten down by such works going overseas, mainly to China, as well as boosting manufacturing in the US. He said that Air India’s Boeing purchase shows that “the United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing”.

The reference to jobs in the US, which a White House official said will, directly and indirectly, amount to 1.47 million, can also offset criticism in the US of tech jobs going to India by showing that US workers also benefit. The Air India order will have a total economic impact of $70 billion, the official said.

The Air India order is Boeing’s third-biggest sale of all time in dollar value and second in quantity, according to the official. The order for 220 planes from Air India is worth $34 billion and covers 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs.