From Puss Moths to a 470-Aircraft Order: India's Aviation Evolution

Countries & Cities · Published 13 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Air India is currently undergoing one of the most ambitious fleet transformations in aviation history. After decades of operating aging jets, the carrier is executing a massive overhaul involving hundreds of new planes, a $400 million refit program, and a total rebranding of its legacy fleet.

Air India's journey began in 1932 with the De Havilland Puss Moth. It reached a major milestone on February 21, 1960, when it became the first Asian airline to induct a jet aircraft with the Boeing 707, named Gauri Shankar. By 1971, the carrier had acquired a Boeing 747-200B, its initial wide-body jet, before adding an A310-300 Airbus model in 1986 to grow its fleet.

The modern era of the fleet is defined by a massive restructuring following the Tata Group's takeover in 2022. This included a merger with Vistara in late 2024, which transferred 70 aircraft to Air India. To modernize, the airline placed a landmark order for 470 aircraft in February 2023—a US$70 billion deal including A320neo, A350, 737 MAX, 787-9, and 777-9 models. Additionally, a new order of 100 aircraft from Airbus was confirmed in December 2024.

Simultaneously, the airline is executing a $400 million refit program for its legacy fleet. This initiative involves retrofitting 27 older A320neo and 40 Boeing widebody aircraft with new seats, cabins, and livery. While the A320neo retrofits were fast-tracked to completion by late 2025, the Boeing 777 fleet refit has been pushed to 2027–2028 due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. By mid-2027, the entire 787 fleet is expected to complete its upgrade to a new three-class configuration.

The airline is also systematically retiring older models to improve efficiency. It sold its remaining Boeing 747s in April 2024 and has replaced many of those aging aircraft with more fuel-efficient Boeing 777s and 787 Dreamliners. This transition is part of a broader strategy to move away from high-operating-cost legacy planes toward a high-tech, standardized fleet.

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