Tata Group-owned Air India has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, nearly four years after privatization. It is the first ‘line-fit’ Dreamliner to be custom-built from the factory for the airline, with modern economy, premium economy and business class seats fitted as per Air India’s requirements. An official said that on January 7, the title transfer of this aircraft was completed at Boeing’s Everett factory in Seattle, USA.
The plane will reach India in the next few days
According to the news, after inspection by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), this aircraft will reach India in the next few days. This delivery marks a significant milestone following the acquisition of Air India by the Tata Group in January 2022. Earlier, the airline had last received a line-fit Dreamliner in October 2017, when it was under government ownership.
52nd delivery overall
The new aircraft is the first wide-body aircraft to be delivered to Air India among the 220 Boeing aircraft ordered in 2023 and the 52nd delivery overall. At the same time, Air India Express has so far received 51 narrow-body Boeing 737-8 aircraft, including the first line-fit aircraft which was inducted in late December. After Tata acquisition, Air India had placed a big order for 350 Airbus and 220 Boeing aircraft. So far, 6 A350 aircraft have been added to the fleet from the Airbus order. Currently Air India already has 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft and the merged Vistara already has 6 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Total more than 300 aircraft in the fleet
The Air India Group has a total fleet of over 300 aircraft, of which 185 are owned by Air India and the remaining by Air India Express. According to the official, about a dozen older Dreamliners with refreshed interiors will return to service in a phased manner by 2026. In November last year, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had announced that the group would induct 26 new wide-body and narrow-body aircraft by the end of 2026 and operate 81 per cent of international flights with upgraded aircraft. This delivery is a strong step towards Air India’s fleet modernization and international network expansion.
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