Air India Ltd. firmed up an order for additional 30 Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft in an aggressive fleet expansion as air travel demand surges in the world’s most-populous country.
The order — announced at the Hyderabad airshow — for 20 Boeing 737-8 and 10 Boeing 737-10s confirms options placed in 2023 taking the total number of aircraft orders with the American planemaker to 250, the Tata Group-controlled airline in a statement on Thursday.
Bloomberg News had reported the expanded aircraft order earlier in the day citing people familiar with the discussions.
Looking forward to welcome 30 new @Boeing 737 Max to the family – enabling more #MeaningfulConnections across people, cultures & communities. #XploreMore ✈️ pic.twitter.com/iojdE9vxht
— Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) January 29, 2026
The latest development follows Air India’s landmark commitment of 470 aircraft from Boeing Co. and Airbus SE in 2023. Of those, 220 were from Boeing, including 190 Max jets largely deployed by Air India Express, the carrier’s low-cost subsidiary for domestic and short-haul international routes.
This marks Air India’s second major confirmation of options, after finalizing 100 Airbus aircraft in 2024. The airline has so far received 52 Boeing aircraft from its 2023 order.
“Air India’s order for more 737 MAX jets underscores the strong performance of their existing 737-8 fleet as they continue to expand connectivity across India and the South Asia region,” Paul Righi, Boeing’s Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Eurasia, India and South Asia, said in the statement.
Air India also entered a multi-year component service agreement with Boeing for its 787 fleet.
In a separate statement, Air India also announced on Thursday that it was converting 15 aircraft orders for Airbus 321neo to Airbus A321XLR. These deliveries were expected between 2029 and 2030, it added.
Investing Heavily
Since taking control of the airline in 2022, the Tata Group has invested heavily in refurbishing older planes and expanding its fleet. Air India is currently the country’s no. 2 domestic carrier, behind IndiGo, with 191 aircraft in its fleet.
Boeing projects India and South Asia will need 3,290 new aircraft by 2044. India’s aviation market has surged post-pandemic, with carriers like IndiGo and Air India placing substantial orders. The country’s fleet has grown from about 100 aircraft in 2000 to nearly 900 today, with more than 1,500 planes on order — the largest backlog worldwide.
India is now the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, behind only the US and China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government continues to expand airport capacity, aiming to double the number of airfields over the next two decades.
The growth comes despite a turbulent 2025, marked by India’s worst aviation disaster — the crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner — and operational disruptions at IndiGo. A final report on the 787 crash is awaited.
