Air India Group plans to induct 50 to 60 new aircraft over the next 18 months as part of its ongoing five-year transformation strategy. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, confirmed the airline remains on track with its fleet modernization goals despite supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability, and oil price volatility.
Fleet Expansion and Delivery Timeline
Air India Group currently operates a combined fleet of more than 290 aircraft. The airline’s long-term strategy involves an order book of approximately 600 planes, with deliveries expected to continue through the mid-2030s.
According to Aggarwal, the pace of arrivals will accelerate significantly starting late 2024. The delivery schedule includes:
- Annual Growth: The group expects to add 50 to 60 aircraft annually for the next seven to eight years.
- Mix: This intake will consist of roughly 10 to 15 wide-body aircraft and 45 to 50 narrow-body aircraft per year.
- Boeing MAX Status: Deliveries of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 remain on schedule. The airline also expects to be among the first operators of the Boeing 737 MAX 10, pending final certification, with arrivals anticipated in early 2025.
Retrofitting and Cabin Modernization
The group is addressing the operational challenges of its legacy wide-body fleet through an extensive cabin retrofit program. While the transition has faced delays, the company is prioritizing interior upgrades to improve passenger experience.
- Air India Express: The carrier is on track to complete the harmonization of its fleet into a single cabin configuration by March 2025.
- Air India Wide-body: The retrofitting of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet is scheduled for completion by mid-2025. The Boeing 777 fleet will undergo similar updates, though this process is expected to take longer.
Network Restoration and Operational Strategy
Air India has faced recent network curtailments due to regional conflicts in West Asia and fluctuations in global oil prices. However, management reports that operations are returning to pre-conflict levels.
"We are back to 90 per cent in the Middle East," Aggarwal stated, noting that flights to the United States and Europe that were previously suspended or curtailed are now back on sale. The airline anticipates a full restoration of its pre-war network capacity within the next two months.
Investing in Service Standards
Beyond hardware upgrades, the airline is focusing on "software"—the processes, systems, and personnel training—required to maintain a reliable customer experience. This includes new service protocols for cabin crew and ground staff. The company characterizes the period of sustaining older aircraft as "painful" but indicates that the most difficult phase of the transformation is now behind them, with a more stable operational outlook expected by the start of the next financial year.
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