Air India Prepares Major New Order for 200 Aircraft
Following its acquisition by Tata Sons, India’s flag carrier Air India is gearing up for another massive aircraft order, this time for approximately 200 narrow-body jets. The airline is in advanced negotiations with both Airbus and Boeing, and the deal may also include wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350. Earlier this year, it was reported that Air India had been in discussions to acquire between 30 and 50 wide-body jets.
This planned purchase marks the continuation of the airline’s sweeping transformation. In 2023, Air India made headlines with a record-breaking order of 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. The airline followed up in 2024 by adding another 100 Airbus jets, bringing its total order book to 570 aircraft. Among its current backlog are 50 Airbus A350s, 10 Boeing 777X, and 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The move is part of Air India’s five-year transformation program, http://Vihaan.AI, launched after joining the Tata Group in January 2022. The program focuses on fleet renewal, service improvement, network expansion, and reclaiming lost market share in both domestic and international markets.
These new order talks come amid global supply chain challenges and delivery delays affecting aircraft manufacturers. As India’s aviation market rapidly grows, securing new aircraft is crucial for Air India to maintain its competitiveness against strong rivals like IndiGo.
With the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget approaching, major headline-making deals like this are beginning to take shape.
