Air India has been working hard behind the scenes to modernise its fleet, and there is no secret that this plays a big part in its transformation. Hence, one of the first things Air India did was to place a 470-aircraft order with both Boeing and Airbus in 2023. Another move in the transformation was to induct brand-new aircraft from lessors and upgrade the existing ones. Air India has recently started the retrofit for its 26 787-8 jets, with the first two in Victorville at a Boeing facility for the nose-to-tail upgrade. The A320neo jets inducted on lease pre-privatisation were scheduled for retrofitting with new seats, and Air India now has the complete set of older 27 aircraft retrofitted (they still haven’t announced it, but it’s done).
Air India’s widebody fleet expansion begins now.
It is no secret that Air India’s key bread and butter is the international long-haul market, which it has served for decades. This is now a bit of a challenge from IndiGo, which has started flying long-haul effective July 2025, and from international carriers that already serve, or want to serve, India. So far, the long-haul fleet of Air India includes the following aircraft:
- 6 Airbus A350-900
- 2 Boeing 777-200 (Active)
- 15 Boeing 777-300ER (Active)
- 26 Boeing 787-8 (2 currently being retrofitted)
- 6 Boeing 787-9 (ex-Vistara)
The other widebody aircraft that are on order at the moment are:
- 44 Airbus A350s (25 Airbus A350-1000 and 19 Airbus A350-900)
- 20 Boeing 787-9s
- 10 Boeing 777-9s
These are all aircraft that will not need retrofitting, but they will come line-fit with a new product for Air India, which they have been teasing us about for a long time, but we haven’t seen yet. Boeing has been the one fronting this move, and the first Boeing 787-9 for Air India, which has been ready (pre-fitout), has been spotted at Boeing’s 787 FAL in South Carolina.
Air India’s first new Boeing 787-9 VT-AWA taxiing out for a ferry flight to San Antonio as BOE251. I got extremely lucky catching her taxiing out exactly as I was pulling into the spotting location. 10 seconds later and I would’ve missed it. pic.twitter.com/KrNJolXdZy
— Devin (@BoeingSCSpotter) August 27, 2025
This aircraft is now getting closer to delivery, with delivery expected before the end of 2025. The first ones always take time due to regulatory work, clearances, and certifications, so the total time is understandable. But at Aviation India 2025, being held in Delhi today, Campbell Wilson mentioned that the airline expects to receive a Boeing 787-9 aircraft approximately every six weeks from there, so one could expect another 8 787-9 aircraft in the coming year to join the fleet.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson with Mark Pilling
As a corollary, Campbell also announced that Air India expects to receive two A350-1000 aircraft in 2026. The first A350-1000 has already been spotted in Toulouse in Air India colours with its engines hung earlier in October 2025. Still, it is only due for delivery later next year, perhaps because seat certification will take time.
First Airbus A350-1000 for Air India Airlines MSN 719 #VTJRO #avgeek #aviation #airbus #airindia @airindia pic.twitter.com/I1ZH3E3EFa
— Eurospot (@cliper31) October 9, 2025
Bottomline
Air India is finally making headway in its transformation, with the airline set to induct its first new widebody aircraft in 2025 itself and, from there, build out a fleet of 787s with a reasonable frequency in 2026. The airline expects to add a new widebody every 6 weeks in 2026, including two A350-1000 aircraft. The induction of new 787s will also allow Air India to pull out the older aircraft (788s) and have them sent for a retrofit.
What do you make of the induction of new widebodies for Air India?
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