On January 29, Air India announced an order to purchase 30 additional Boeing aircraft, including 20 737-8 and 10 737-10 aircraft. These 30 single-aisle aircraft are in addition to Air India’s firm orders of 220 aircraft from Boeing by 2023, taking the total number of aircraft orders with Boeing to 250, the company said in a press release.

“Congratulations to @airindia and @Boeing_In on their announcement that Air India will add 30 more @Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet. Every day, the Embassy works tirelessly to support opportunities that benefit our nations!” US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor wrote in a post on X (formally Twitter).

The airline has so far received 52 aircraft out of the original 220 ordered in 2023, including 51 737-8 aircraft currently in service with its subsidiary, Air India Express, and a new 787-9, which will enter commercial service on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1, 2026, it said.

With the latest order, Air India will have a total of 198 new incoming Boeing aircraft.

Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said the additional order of 30 Boeing 737 aircraft is part of the airline’s broader fleet strategy to position itself as a world-class global carrier. “Based on our 2023 orders and subsequent additions, this order supports steady deliveries and planned fleet upgrades over the coming years,” he said.

Paul Righi, Boeing’s vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Eurasia, India and South Asia, said: “Air India’s order for more 737 MAX aircraft underscores the strong performance of its existing 737-8 fleet as they continue to expand connectivity in India and the South Asia region.”

“We appreciate Air India’s confidence in the 737-10 and 737-8 to deliver the capacity and versatility they need as the cornerstone of their single-aisle growth strategy,” he added.

Powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines, the Boeing 737 delivers exceptional fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and operational reliability for robust single-aisle operations.

Since its privatization in January 2022, the Air India group has added nearly 170 aircraft to its fleet through a combination of new deliveries, strategic leases, merger with legacy Vistara and reactivation of long-haul aircraft, representing significant progress in capacity expansion and fleet modernization, the statement added.

The announcement was made at Wings India 2026 in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu.

(With PTI tickets)