Air India to order 30 Boeing 737 Max jets as travel demand surges

By Mihir Mishra

 

Air India Ltd. is set to firm up an order for an additional 30 Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft, according to people familiar with the plan, part of an aggressive fleet expansion as air travel demand surges in the world’s most populous country.

 

The order — to be announced at the Hyderabad airshow — confirms options placed in 2023, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is not public. It follows Air India’s landmark commitment of 470 aircraft from Boeing Co. and Airbus SE.

 

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.

   

Air India and Boeing didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

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.

 

More Planes 

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.