Tata Group-owned Air India has received its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in nearly four years, marking a key milestone in the airline’s fleet modernisation programme after privatisation. The aircraft,
registered VT-AWA, landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following a non-stop ferry flight from Boeing’s Everett facility in Washington.
This is the first line-fit, custom-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner produced for Air India since it came under Tata Group ownership. The last line-fit Dreamliner was inducted in October 2017, when the airline was still government-owned.
Air India said that the aircraft would be deployed for international long-haul commercial services starting next month, with the operating schedule to be announced shortly.
The Boeing 787-9 features 296 seats across three cabin classes—Business, Premium Economy and Economy—and comes with bespoke cabin interiors installed directly on Boeing’s production line. The new 787-9 cabins will serve as the benchmark for Air India’s Dreamliner fleet, as 26 legacy Boeing 787-8 aircraft undergo phased retrofits.
Several of these aircraft are scheduled to return to service in 2026 with refreshed interiors and the new Air India livery.
The airline further said that 2026 will see the delivery of six wide-body aircraft, including Airbus A350-1000s and Boeing 787-9s. In November last year, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said the airline expects to operate 81 per cent of its international flights with upgraded aircraft by the end of 2026.
Since the Tata Group takeover in January 2022, Air India has placed orders for 350 Airbus and 220 Boeing aircraft. Six Airbus A350s have already been inducted. The Air India Group now operates over 300 planes, with 185 under the Air India brand and the rest with Air India Express.
