Air India Embarks on Aggressive Expansion with Over 100 New Aircraft

Air India is accelerating its growth plans to become one of the largest airlines in the world. The Tata Group-owned airline has announced that it will add over 100 aircraft to its fleet across 2027 and 2028, aiming to reshape capacity at both Air India and Air India Express.

The expansion comes as the airline seeks to reach profitability after decades of losses, which have strained its finances and damaged its brand image. The new aircraft are expected to arrive rapidly over two years from 2027, with delivery allocations and splits yet to be confirmed between the mainline and Express divisions.

Air India already operates nearly 300 aircraft across its full-service and low-cost airline divisions, but the addition of more planes will enable the airline to serve new cities and expand its international network. The new aircraft are part of a larger orderbook, with 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing ordered in February 2023.