Air India Adds First Line-Fit Dreamliner in Over Eight Years

Air India Inducts First Line-Fit Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in Over Eight Years

Air India has taken delivery of its first line-fit Boeing 787-9 aircraft, marking the airline’s first Dreamliner induction in more than eight years. The title transfer of the aircraft was completed at Boeing’s Everett facility in Seattle on January 7, according to an airline official.

Following inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft is expected to arrive in India in the coming days. This delivery is also the first line-fit Dreamliner to join Air India’s fleet since the airline’s privatisation in January 2022.

The newly inducted Boeing 787-9 features a three-class cabin configuration, comprising Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class seating. The last line-fit Dreamliner acquired by Air India was delivered in October 2017, when the airline was under government ownership. Line-fit aircraft are built specifically to an airline’s requirements at the manufacturing stage.

According to the official, the Boeing 787-9 is Air India’s first widebody delivery and the 52nd aircraft overall from the 220 Boeing jets the airline ordered in 2023. Separately, Air India Express has taken delivery of 51 Boeing 737-8 aircraft, including its first line-fit aircraft, which was inducted in late December.

After the Tata Group acquired Air India in January 2022, the airline placed firm orders for 350 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeing aircraft. From the Airbus order, six A350 aircraft have already been inducted into the Air India fleet.

Air India currently operates 26 Boeing 787-8s and six Boeing 787-9s that were previously part of Vistara’s fleet, following the merger of the two airlines. Across the group, Air India has a fleet of over 300 aircraft, including approximately 185 operated by Air India and the remainder by Air India Express.

The official also confirmed that around a dozen legacy Dreamliners with refurbished interiors are expected to return to service through 2026, as part of the airline’s ongoing fleet renewal programme.