NEW DELHI — Air India is looking to increase its order for wide-body aircraft as the Tata Group-owned carrier seeks to expand international passenger traffic, chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam said on Nov 3.
Speaking at the Aviation India event in New Delhi, Gebremariam said, “We want more wide-body aircraft,” signalling plans to strengthen the airline’s long-haul fleet. He also said Air India would return to profitability “very soon,” three months after taking charge of the loss-making carrier.
An industry source said Air India has held talks with Boeing and Airbus as it evaluates replacing older wide-body jets, which carry high operating costs and lower fuel efficiency. Newer aircraft could help the airline add more destinations and reduce the impact of Pakistan’s ban on Indian carriers using its airspace.
Airbus declined to comment on customer fleet discussions, while Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gebremariam did not specify how many additional wide-body aircraft Air India intends to order.
Since Tata Group regained ownership in 2022, Air India has pursued a multi-billion-dollar turnaround involving fleet renewal, cabin upgrades and network expansion. Tata owns about 75% of the airline, with Singapore Airlines holding the remainder.