New Delhi

Tata Group-owned Air India has received its first line-fit Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in over eight years, marking the first such delivery since the airline’s privatisation in January 2022.

An official stated that the title transfer for the aircraft was completed on January 7 at Boeing’s Everett facility in Seattle. Following inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Dreamliner is expected to arrive in India in the coming days. The plane features a three-class layout with economy, premium economy, and business cabins.

The last line-fit Dreamliner acquired by Air India was in October 2017 when the airline was still under government ownership. Line-fit aircraft are custom-built to the specifications of the airline receiving them.

The new 787-9 represents Air India’s first wide-body delivery and the 52nd aircraft received from its 220 Boeing orders placed in 2023. Air India Express has already inducted 51 narrow-body Boeing 737-8s, including its first line-fit plane in late December.

Since the Tata Group takeover, Air India has placed orders for 350 Airbus and 220 Boeing jets. Six Airbus A350s from this order have already joined the fleet. Additionally, Air India inherited 26 B787-8s and six B787-9s from the merger with Vistara, bringing the total number of aircraft in the Air India Group to over 300, including 185 with Air India and the remainder with Air India Express.

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The official added that around a dozen legacy Dreamliners with refurbished interiors are expected to return to service throughout 2026, further expanding the airline’s wide-body capabilities.