MUMBAI- Well, we all are excited to welcome the first and newest aircraft types such as Airbus A321neo, A350-1000, Boeing 787-9, and 777-9 from Air India Group’s largest 570-unit order.
So far Air India Group which now includes Air India (AI) and Air India Express (IX) has taken delivery of Six Airbus A350-900s and over 40 Boeing 737 MAX from its historic order.
Photo: Compounded by Aviation A2Z, Credits- Dirk GrotheAir India First A321neo Update
Tata Group-owned LCC, Air India Express will take delivery of the first Airbus A321neo from the recent 2023 order.
Air India Express will launch scheduled operations with A321neo aircraft from April 15, 2025, beginning with routes between Delhi (DEL) and Bengaluru (BLR), as well as Delhi to Srinagar (SXR).
The carrier will expand A321neo service on April 20 to include routes from Delhi to Ayodhya (AYJ) and Jaipur (JAI), featuring a configuration of 180 economy and 12 business class seats.
Currently, Air India operates two A321neos (VT-RTC and VT-RTD) configured with 192 dual-class seats.
Campbell Wilson, Air India’s CEO, recently highlighted significant supply chain challenges affecting the carrier’s modernization plans at the Skift India Forum. The airline is experiencing constraints in procuring engines, fuselages, and premium cabin seats.
These delivery delays from Airbus and Boeing are expected to impact Air India’s growth strategy for at least four to five more years. As Wilson noted, “There is not a lot we can do. We are victims of circumstance, as is every other airline.”
The ongoing supply chain issues have forced Air India to adjust its expansion strategy in several ways:
- Extending the service life of older aircraft, resulting in increased maintenance costs
- Facing difficulties in securing leased aircraft due to market-wide capacity shortages
- Demonstrating caution regarding exercising options for additional Boeing aircraft due to manufacturing concerns and FAA production limitations
Photo: FlightSim.comWidebody Fleet: A350-1000 and 787-9
Air India’s first A350-1000 (A350-1041) is nearing completion at Airbus’s Toulouse facility. The aircraft, MSN 719 with test registration F-WZFI (to become VT-series registration), is expected to join the Air India fleet in 2026.
The aircraft entered in production line on January 2023 and will be the carrier’s first A350-1000.
Meanwhile, Air India’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025, marking the first Boeing widebody aircraft from the carrier’s 2023 order. Currently, three 787-9s are in production for Air India:
- MSN 1251 (Variable number ZF001)
- MSN 1301 (Variable number ZF002)
- MSN 1310 (Variable number ZF003)
These aircraft will be assembled at Boeing’s Charleston, South Carolina facility and will be powered by General Electric GEnx-1B engines.
Photo: EurospotOrder Summary
| Airbus | A350 | A350-900 | 20 | Twin-aisle |
| Airbus | A350 | A350-1000 | 20 | Twin-aisle |
| Airbus | A320 Family | A320neo | 140 | Single-aisle |
| Airbus | A320 Family | A321neo | 70 | Single-aisle |
| Boeing | B787 | Dreamliner | 20 | Twin-aisle |
| Boeing | B777X | – | 10 | Twin-aisle |
| Boeing | B737-8 | – | 190 | Single-aisle |
| Additional Orders (2024) | A350 | – | 10 | Twin-aisle |
| Additional Orders (2024) | A320 Family | – | 90 | Single-aisle |
| TOTAL | 570 |
Summary by Manufacturer
| Airbus | 350 | 61.4% |
| Boeing | 220 | 38.6% |
Summary by Aircraft Category
| Single-aisle | 490 | 86.0% |
| Twin-aisle | 80 | 14.0% |
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Air India Eyes New Order for 50 Widebody Planes Like A350 and 777X
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