The aircraft is Air India’s first wide-body delivery and the 52nd overall aircraft received from the 220 Boeing planes ordered in 2023

Tata Group-owned Air India has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since the airline’s privatisation, marking a key milestone in its fleet modernisation journey. The aircraft was handed over after the completion of the title transfer at Boeing’s Everett factory in Seattle on January 7, nearly four years after the airline returned to private ownership.

This Dreamliner is also Air India’s first “line fit” wide-body aircraft under Tata ownership, meaning it has been custom-built to the airline’s specifications. Officials said the aircraft will arrive in India in the coming days after completing mandatory inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Configured in a three-class layout, the new Boeing 787-9 features economy, premium economy and business class cabins, reflecting Air India’s renewed focus on passenger comfort and upgraded in-flight experience. The last line-fit Dreamliner inducted by Air India was in October 2017, when the airline was under government control.

The aircraft is Air India’s first wide-body delivery and the 52nd overall aircraft received from the 220 Boeing planes ordered in 2023. Meanwhile, Air India Express has already inducted 51 Boeing 737-8 narrow-body aircraft, including its first line-fit plane delivered in late December.

Following the Tata takeover in January 2022, Air India placed massive orders for 350 Airbus and 220 Boeing aircraft as part of its transformation plan. Of the Airbus order, six A350 aircraft have already joined the fleet.

At present, Air India operates 26 Boeing 787-8s and six 787-9s inherited from erstwhile Vistara, which has since been merged with the airline. The Air India Group now has over 300 aircraft across Air India and Air India Express.

Officials added that around a dozen legacy Dreamliners with refreshed interiors are expected to return to service through 2026, strengthening the airline’s long-haul operations.