Air India has recently received its inaugural purpose-built wide-body aircraft since its privatization four years prior, marking a significant achievement.
Air India welcomes its first new Dreamliner in more than eight years
Upon Air India’s privatization four years ago, we were assured that the airline would undergo a complete makeover. None of us anticipated that it would occur instantaneously, yet it certainly seems like a slow-moving endeavor.
For instance, the majority of travelers flying to and from North America are still aboard the airline’s severely outdated Boeing 777s, whose interiors are deteriorating.
Air India has numerous aircraft on order and intends to implement brand-new cabin interiors on its current planes. Nevertheless, as of now, not a single new purpose-built wide-body jet from Air India is operational, nor is there an Air India wide-body jet featuring updated interiors in service.
So, here’s a thrilling update. Air India has just received its first purpose-built wide-body aircraft following its privatization. Specifically, the Boeing 787-9 with the registration code VT-AWA has been delivered to the airline. The aircraft arrived in Delhi (DEL) in the early hours of January 11, 2026.
Air India anticipates acquiring four of these aircraft in 2026, accompanied by two Airbus A350-1000s, which are expected to become the airline’s new flagship models.
Now, I’d like to clarify a few details:
- In the past couple of years, Air India has taken delivery of six Airbus A350-900s; while they are excellent aircraft, they were initially intended for Aeroflot but could not be delivered due to sanctions, meaning they were not specifically designed for Air India
- Air India currently has 21 Boeing 787-9s on order, which will supplement the six ex-Vistara Boeing 787-9s that Air India has acquired (which come with relatively nice interiors)
- Air India has 26 Boeing 787-8s in its fleet, which are being retrofitted with new interiors, and the first aircraft with the updated cabins is expected to enter service shortly
What to anticipate onboard Air India’s new Dreamliners
Air India has not officially revealed the interiors of its new Boeing 787-9 jets, but the planes are expected to feature a three-cabin layout, which will include business class, premium economy, and economy sections.
A couple of years back, there was an expectation that these aircraft would be equipped with the Safran Unity product, regarded as one of the finest business class seats available (Japan Airlines was the first to utilize these seats on its A350-1000s). Below is a promotional video from that time, focusing on the retrofits for the Boeing 777-300ER (as those aircraft will still include first class).
However, the actual developments seem different. It’s my understanding that all newly configured Dreamliners will share the same interiors, including <a href="https://onemileatatime.com/news/new-air-india-boeing