Hyderabad: Indian carrier Air India on Thursday said it placed an order for another 30 Boeing single-aisle 737 aircraft, including 20 737-8 and 10 737-10 jets, as the Tata Group-owned carrier steps up fleet renewal and regional growth.
The single-aisle aircraft, powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines, adds to the 220 Boeing aircraft Air India ordered in 2023, taking its total Boeing orders to 250.
The order, announced at Wings India 2026 on Thursday, adds to the 220 Boeing aircraft the airline ordered in 2023, taking Air India's total Boeing orders to 250 aircraft.
The MoU was exchanged by Air India CEO and managing director Campbell Wilson in the presence of Union civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu.
Wilson said the additional 737s ordered will support a broader fleet strategy aimed at positioning Air India as a world-class global carrier, with steady deliveries and planned upgrades over the next few years.
Air India said the latest commitment leaves it awaiting delivery of 198 new Boeing aircraft, even as it received 52 aircraft from its 2023 order with Boeing. Those deliveries include 51 737-8 jets that are operating with its value carrier subsidiary, Air India Express. The airline also received 1 new 787-9, which is scheduled to enter commercial service on the Mumbai–Frankfurt route from 1 February 2026.
The event also saw Air India sign a multi-year agreement with Boeing Global Services for the Component Services Program covering its entire Boeing 787 fleet, including aircraft in service and those on order. The programme includes component pooling, repair and overhaul through Boeing-approved facilities, and global logistics support, aimed at improving parts availability, reducing downtime, and enhancing cost predictability.
Air India said dependable component support is crucial as it scales up long-haul operations, including additional 787-9 inductions in 2026 and cabin retrofits of 26 legacy 787-8 aircraft.
On the occasion, Air India also signed an MoU with Airbus for the conversion of 15 A321neo orders to the longer-range A321XLR variant, with deliveries expected in 2029 and 2030. The airline said the XLR's range will help open new non-stop international routes and optimise medium-haul services with single-aisle economics.
Since its privatisation in January 2022, Air India added nearly 170 aircraft through deliveries, leases, the Vistara merger, and reactivations.
Swati Bharadwaj is a business journalist with 30 years of experie...
Read MoreSwati Bharadwaj is a business journalist with 30 years of experience covering a host of sectors – right from technology, GCCs, talent, cybersecurity, pharma & biotech, aerospace & defence, BFSI, gems & jewellery to automotive, hospitality, infrastructure, retail, among others. She has worked with TOI and ET across multiple cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad.
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