Gurugram: Air India Group expects a year of marked transformation in 2026, with 26 new wide-body and narrow-body aircraft scheduled to join its fleet and a major share of international operations shifting to upgraded planes. The airline anticipates operating 81 per cent of its international flights with refurbished aircraft by the end of next year, while overall capacity will remain largely unchanged.
“2026 will be a year of very visible change for Air India, notwithstanding the headwinds that we have faced in the last few months, whether it be AI 171 (crash) or other events, we're continuing our capital expenditure commitments...,” Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said during a media briefing on Monday. It was his first interaction with the press after the fatal Dreamliner crash on 12 June.
Air India, which currently operates one departure every 70 seconds on average, will induct its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from its original order of 570 aircraft before Christmas, with operations beginning in January.
According to Wilson, capacity will remain “comparatively flat” in 2026 as the airline adds new aircraft while returning leased planes and continuing retrofit work. The group, which has nearly 300 aircraft, will also retire three Boeing 777 planes next year.
“When I say flat, I mean it's flat. The number of aircraft we go into the year with is about the same as the number of aircraft we end the year with. But they're different aircraft. Some go out, some go in... at the beginning, 2027, 2028 is when a lot of the net increase will happen,” Wilson said.
The airline expects the most visible progress in its wide-body retrofit programme in 2026. The first two legacy Boeing 787-8 aircraft will return to service after upgrades in February, and two to three aircraft will be retrofitted every month thereafter. “By the end of 2026, about two-thirds of the Boeing 787 fleet will have been upgraded...,” Wilson noted.
Air India Group will take delivery of six new wide-body aircraft next year, including Boeing 787-9s and A350-1000s, along with 20 new narrow-body planes. Out of the 570 aircraft on order, 524 are yet to be delivered, and the group has so far only received white tail aircraft originally produced for other carriers.
Around 83 per cent of the narrow-body fleet has been upgraded, and the airline will retain 17 older aircraft that were initially planned for retirement due to delays in Airbus and Boeing deliveries.
Vistara aircraft will begin receiving their new Air India livery and interior branding this month, following the airline’s merger into Air India in November 2024.
Wilson said the supply chain has slowed progress, with both the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 retrofit programmes delayed due to a shortage of premium seats. He added that the airline should have already received 28 new aircraft by now, based on earlier schedules.
Responding to questions on international travel trends, Wilson said demand for the United States has dipped due to airspace restrictions, longer flight durations and visa challenges, but added, “we think this is transitory”.
On the June 12 crash, Wilson said 95 per cent of affected families have received interim compensation, adding, “our commitment to those who have had a loss, whether they were on ground or in the air, will continue for as long as it takes”.
The crash of the London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad killed 260 people, including 19 individuals on the ground. One passenger survived.
Passengers enrolled in the Maharaja Club loyalty programme will soon be able to redeem points on Air India Express, Wilson said, highlighting upcoming upgrades in customer experience across the group.
BI Bureau
