Wikipedia

Air India fleet

As of November 2024, Air India operates a fleet of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft with a fleet consisting of Airbus A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350 as well as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, making for a total of 208 aircraft.

Fleet development

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In 1932, Air India started operations with the De Havilland Puss Moth aircraft. On 21 February 1960, Air India International inducted its first Boeing 707 named Gauri Shankar (registered VT-DJJ), thereby becoming the first Asian airline to induct a jet aircraft in its fleet.[1][2] In 1971, the airline took delivery of its first wide-body aircraft, a Boeing 747-200B named Emperor Ashoka (registered VT-EBD).[3] In 1986, Air India introduced its first Airbus aircraft, an Airbus A310-300.[4] On 4 August 1993, Air India took the delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 named Konark (registered VT-ESM).[5] Indian Airlines introduced the Airbus A320 family of aircraft in 1989 and the smaller Airbus A319s in 2005, which are now used by Air India on domestic and regional routes, respectively.[4] On 11 January 2006, Air India announced an order for 68 jets – 8 Boeing 777-200LR, 15 Boeing 777-300ER, 18 Boeing 737-800 and 27 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. The eighteen Boeing 737s ordered were later transferred to Air India Express when Air India took delivery of the Dreamliners.[6] After the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007, Air India inducted the Airbus A321 in its fleet to operate mainly on short-haul international routes and leased the Airbus A330s to operate on medium-haul international routes.

The airline took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200LR aircraft on 26 July 2007, which was named Andhra Pradesh, and the first Boeing 777-300ER on 9 October 2007, which was named as Bihar.[citation needed] The carrier sold three Airbus A300 and one Boeing 747 in March 2009 for US$18.75 million, due to debts.[7] It also sold five of its eight Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to Etihad Airways in December 2013.[8] Air India received its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on 6 September 2012, commencing flights on 19 September 2012, which along with 777s, have since replaced the aging and fuel-inefficient 747s in the fleet of international routes.[9] On 21 April 2014, Air India decided to sell its remaining three Boeing 777-200LRs as well, citing higher operating costs.[10] On 24 April 2014, Air India issued a tender for leasing 14 Airbus A320 aircraft for up to six years, to strengthen its domestic network.[11]

Many years later, in December 2022, a day after the merger announcement with Vistara, it was reported that Air India would order nearly five hundred new aircraft.[12][13] On 14 February 2023, Air India announced an order for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing consisting of 210 A320neo family, 40 A350, 190 737 MAX for Air India Express, 20 787-9 and 10 777-9 aircraft at a cost of US$70 billion, with deliveries beginning in late 2023.[14] The airline announced that it would be leasing 36 aircraft, 25 narrow-body aircraft and 11 wide-body aircraft, till the delivery of the newly ordered planes.[15] On 26 March 2023, Air India took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, albeit a leased one.[16] As part of its fleet restructuring, Air India unveiled its new logo, livery and branding on 10 August 2023 and received its first re-branded aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, on 23 December 2023.[17][18] On 22 April 2024, Air India sold four Boeing 747 aircraft to the US company AerSale, which will convert two into freighters and scrap the other two.[19]

Air India has planned a $400 million refit program for its legacy aircraft fleet. On 16 September 2024, the first phase of the refit began in which 27 older A320neo and 40 Boeing widebody aircraft will be retrofitted with new seats, cabin and livery. VT-EXN, an A320neo, has been parked in a hangar and will be the first to be retrofitted. The aircraft will be delivered and enter service in December 2024 after its prototyping phase and certification. The rest of the 27 narrowbody aircraft's upgradation and modernisation will continue at the rate of 3 to 4 aircraft per month. The upgrade of the narrowbodies is set to be completed by mid-2025.[20][21]

On 12 November 2024, with the merger of Vistara and Air India, all of Vistara's 70 aircraft were transferred to Air India.[22]

The airline revealed that it had placed another order of 100 aircraft from Airbus on 9 December 2024. The deal comprised an additional 10 A350 aircraft as well as 90 A320 family aircraft.[23][24]

Current fleet

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As of November 2024, Air India operates the following aircraft:[25][26][a]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Refs Notes
F C W Y Total
Airbus A319-100 6 — — 8 — 114 122 [27] To be retired and replaced by Airbus A320neo.[28]
Airbus A320-200 4 — — 12 — 138 150 [29]
3 — 180 180 18 single-class A320 and A320neo being transferred to Air India Express.[30][31]
Airbus A320neo 57 90[23] — 8 24 132 164 [32][33] 6 to be leased.[34]
27 12 — 150 162 Being refurbished with a three-class configuration.[20]
10 — 180 180 [35] 18 single-class A320 and A320neo being transferred to Air India Express. [30][31]
4 186 186
Airbus A321-200 13 — — 12 — 170 182 [36]
Airbus A321LR 4 — — 12 24 152 188 [37]
Airbus A321neo 6 210[23] — 12 24 152 188 [38]
2 12 — 180 192 [39]
2 — 232 232
Airbus A350-900 6 19[23] — 28 24 264 316 [40] 6 taken from an Aeroflot order, retaining interior configuration.[41]
Airbus A350-1000 — 25[23] TBA Order with 5 options.[42][24]
Boeing 777-200LR 3 — 8 35 — 195 238 [43] To be refreshed from 2025,[44] following refurbishement from 2027.[20][45]
5 — 28 48 212 288 Former Delta Air Lines aircraft.
Boeing 777-300ER 13 — 4 35 — 303 342 [46] To be refreshed from 2025,[44] following refurbishment with a four-class configuration from 2027.[20][47]
305 344
6 8 40 280 328 Former Etihad Airways aircraft.
Boeing 777-9 — 10 TBA [48]
Boeing 787-8 23 — — 18 — 238 256 [49] To be refurbished from 2025.[20]
4 241 259
Boeing 787-9 6 20 — 30 21 248 299 [50] Order with 20 options.[48]
1 36 226 292 [51]
Total 205 374

Special Liveries

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Aircraft Aircraft Registration Livery
Airbus A319-100 VT-SCS Mahatma Gandhi 150th Anniversary[citation needed]
Airbus A320neo VT-ATV Tata SIA Airlines retro[52]
VT-CIO Mahatma Gandhi 150th Anniversary[53]
VT-EXO Star Alliance[54]
Boeing 777-200LR VT-ALG Mahatma Gandhi 150th Anniversary[55]
Boeing 777-300ER VT-ALJ Star Alliance[56][57]
VT-ALN Celebrating India[58]
VT-ALT Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav[59]
Boeing 787-8 VT-ANC Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav[citation needed]
VT-ANP Mahatma Gandhi 150th Anniversary[60]
VT-ANQ Guru Nanak 550 Years Celebration[61]
VT-ANU Star Alliance[62]

Former fleet

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Air India Airbus A330-200
 
Air India Airbus A310-300
 
Air India Boeing 767-300ER
 
Boeing 707 in 1976
 
Air India Lockheed Super Constellation in 1961 at Prague Ruzyně Airport
 
Air India Douglas DC-3 at Heathrow Airport in 1958
 
Air India Boeing 747-400
 
Air India Boeing 747-200
Past aircraft operated by Air India[63]
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Replacement Notes
Airbus A300B4-100 1 1994 1994 Airbus A321
Airbus A300B4-200 3 1982 2002 Airbus A321
Airbus A310-300 28 1986 2016 Boeing 787-8 Some converted to Cargo use for Air India Cargo
Airbus A319-100 17 2009 2024 Airbus A320neo
1 2021 Transferred to DRDO as a testbed aircraft[64]
Airbus A320-200 38 2007 2019 Airbus A320neo
2 2015 2024 Transferred to Air India Express
Airbus A321-200 1 2007 2019 Airbus A321neo
6 2022 To be converted into AEW&C for the Indian Air Force[64]
Airbus A330-200 2 2008 2015 Boeing 787-8
Boeing 707-300B 3 1962 1989 Boeing 747-200
Boeing 747-300M
Boeing 707-300C 2 1964 1990 Boeing 747-200
Boeing 747-300M
Boeing 707-400 4 1960 1984 Boeing 747-200
1 1966 None Crashed as Flight AI101
1 1982 Crashed as Flight AI403
Boeing 737-200 5 2007 2011 Airbus A320
Boeing 747-200B 9 1971 2004 Boeing 747-400
Boeing 777-200
Boeing 777-200ER 		VT-EGC forward fuselage preserved at Thakur Polytechnic, Mumbai[citation needed] Some converted to Cargo use for Air India Cargo.
1 1978 None Crashed as Flight AI855
1 1985 Destroyed by a bomb as Flight AI182
1 1987 1988 Boeing 747-300M
Boeing 747-300 1 2005 2007 Boeing 777-300ER Leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic
Boeing 747-300M 2 1988 2008 Boeing 777-300ER VT-EPX (nicknamed Narasimha Varman) scrapped at Kemble Airfield in 2009 after being sold due to financial crunch[citation needed] VT-EPW(nicknamed Shivaji) broken up at BOM in 2011 after being in storage.[citation needed]
Boeing 747-400M 1 2005 2008 Boeing 777-300ER Purchased used from Air Canada, sold to Dubai Royal Air Wing
Boeing 747-400 13 1993 2024 Airbus A350-900
Boeing 777-200LR
Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 777-9 		Last 4 stored and deregistered in 2022, sold to AerSale in April 2024, which will convert 2 into freighters and scrap the other 2(VT-EVA stored at ROW).[65] VT-ESM scrapped in May 2011 at BOM after written off by fire damage.[citation needed] VT-ESN stored in June 2014 and broken up in December 2020 at BOM.[citation needed] 3 leased from Korean Air between 2002 and 2006. 3 used aircraft purchased from Singapore Airlines, 1 from Malaysia Airlines and used between 2004 and 2008.[citation needed]
Boeing 757-200 1 2007 2007 None
Boeing 767-300ER 2 2006 2008 None
1 2007 2007
Boeing 777-200 1 2006 2010 Boeing 777-200LR
Boeing 777-300ER 		Leased from United
Boeing 777-200ER 3 2005 2011 Boeing 777-200LR
Boeing 777-300ER 		Leased from United
Boeing 777-200LR 5 2008 2014 None Sold to Etihad Airways
De Havilland Comet Un­known 1950s 1950s None
De Havilland Dragon Rapide Un­known 1930s 1940s None
De Havilland Fox Moth Un­known 1930s 1930s None
De Havilland Puss Moth Un­known 1929 1932 None
Douglas DC-2 15 1934 1940 Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3 Un­known 1936 1970s Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4 Un­known 1948 Unknown None
Douglas DC-8-60F 15 1977 1988 Boeing 747-200
Douglas DC-8-70F 1983 1995 Boeing 747-200
Ilyushin Il-62M Un­known 1989 1990 Airbus A310
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 5 1995 1996 Boeing 747-400
Lockheed L-749 Constellation 4 1951 1972 None
1 1950 Crashed as Flight AI245
1 1955 Destroyed by a bomb as Flight AI300
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation 10 1956 1970s None
Percival Petrel Un­known 1930s 1930s None
Vickers VC.1 Viking 9 1947 1960s None
Waco YQC-6 Un­known 1939 Unknown None

Notes

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  1. ^ As per official website, the fleet count is 128. As the official website does not give the split by aircraft type, other sources have been used for the section, which differs from the count given in the official website

References

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