Air India placed an order for 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the Wings India 2026 exhibition and converted its Airbus A321neo orders to the A321XLR. Total Boeing orders reached 250 aircraft.
Air India marked the first day of the Wings India 2026 Aviation Exhibition, held in Hyderabad, with new aircraft agreements signed with the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus. As part of its strategy to expand and modernise its fleet, the airline announced significant order and conversion decisions to the public.
Total Orders Placed with Boeing Reach 250 Aircraft
Air India announced that it has signed an order for a total of 30 Boeing 737 aircraft, comprising 20 units of the 737 MAX 8 and 10 units of the 737 MAX 10. With this order, the airline’s total firm orders placed with Boeing have increased to 250 aircraft.
The company stated that this new agreement was made in addition to the firm order for 220 aircraft placed in 2023.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said, “This additional order is an important part of our goal to transform Air India into a world-class global airline worthy of India and expected by the world.”
Boeing: “The 737 MAX Fleet Is Delivering Strong Performance”
Paul Righi, Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Boeing Eurasia, India and South Asia, stated that Air India’s additional order confirms the performance of its existing 737-8 fleet, adding, “The 737-10 and 737-8 will continue to be the cornerstone of Air India’s single-aisle growth strategy.”
Airbus Order Converted to A321XLR
Air India also confirmed that it has converted its existing order for 15 A321neo aircraft with Airbus to the longer-range and more advanced A321XLR model. This conversion marks the first time the airline will add Airbus’s newest single-aisle aircraft to its fleet.
The conversion was carried out as part of Air India’s orders placed with Airbus in 2023 and 2024, which include 50 A350 aircraft and 300 A320 family aircraft.
- 15 of the 210 A321neo aircraft were converted to the A321XLR
- The order for 90 A320neo aircraft will be maintained in its current configuration
Deliveries Between 2029 and 2030
Air India has commitments with Airbus for the delivery of a total of 344 new aircraft. Deliveries of the A321XLR aircraft are planned to take place between 2029 and 2030.
Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Sales at Airbus, said, “We are pleased that Air India will strengthen India’s global connectivity by leveraging the range and efficiency of the A321XLR.”
Fleet Renewal Process Continues
Of the 220 aircraft ordered in 2023, Air India has taken delivery of 52 to date. These deliveries include:
- 51 units of the 737-8 operating with Air India Express,
- A new 787-9 that will operate on the Mumbai–Frankfurt route from 1 February 2026.
CEO Campbell Wilson emphasised that strengthening the single-aisle fleet with the A321XLR aligns with Air India’s long-term growth strategy and its approach to meeting passenger demand.
