Air India is likely to place additional orders for Boeing 787 Dreamliners as it accelerates the overhaul of its long-haul fleet, with CEO Campbell Wilson signalling further expansion even as the first customised 787-9 prepares to enter commercial service from February 1.
Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday after a special flight operated with the new aircraft landed at Begumpet airport, Wilson said the airline’s wide-body transformation would gather pace over the next few years.
“In 2027 and 2028, you will see a huge transformation in the Air India long-haul wide-body fleet,” he said, indicating that more Dreamliners could be added beyond the current order book.
New Commercial Operations
Air India is set to deploy the Boeing 787-9 on the Mumbai–Frankfurt route from February 1, marking the first commercial operation of a custom-built aircraft inducted after the Tata Group took over the airline in January 2022. The aircraft, registered as VT-AWA, is also the first of the new-generation widebodies ordered as part of the airline’s broader fleet renewal plan.
During the flight, Wilson said the carrier was expecting “at least 20 line-fit aircraft”, adding that the phrasing was deliberate and hinted at further additions. Air India has already placed firm orders for 570 aircraft across narrow-body and wide-body categories, of which 27 have been delivered so far.
Calling the induction a milestone, Wilson said the arrival of the Boeing 787-9 marked the first production widebody from the 470-aircraft order signed three years ago and a key step in the airline’s five-year Vihaan.AI transformation programme.
Nearly 100 new and leased aircraft have joined the Air India group since privatisation, though this is the first aircraft fully designed to the airline’s new product specifications.
Awaiting Regulatory Clearances
For now, the aircraft will operate with certain restrictions as Air India awaits regulatory clearances from the US Federal Aviation Administration for the sliding privacy doors in business class and for 18 economy seats. Once approved, the configuration will become the standard across the airline’s Dreamliner fleet.
Wilson said the retrofit of existing Boeing 787-8 aircraft was progressing, with the first upgraded aircraft expected to return to service in the coming weeks and the entire fleet to be completed by mid-2027.
The new cabin features upgraded interiors and mood lighting inspired by Indian wellness concepts. According to the airline, the lighting system includes 10 custom settings designed to align with passengers’ circadian rhythms and improve comfort on long-haul flights.
Acknowledging delays in inducting the aircraft, Wilson said supply chain disruptions across the global aviation industry had pushed timelines back. “It has been a long wait, longer than we expected,” he said, adding that deliveries are now beginning to stabilise as production ramps up.
(The Correspondent is in Hyderabad at the invitation of Air India)