Air India Places New Order For 30 Boeing Jets
Photo: DD News
HYDERABAD- Air India announced it has placed an order to purchase 30 additional Boeing aircraft, comprising 20 737-8 and 10 737-10 planes on January 29. These 30 single-aisle aircraft are in addition to the firm orders for 220 aircraft that Air India placed with Boeing in 2023, taking the total number of aircraft ordered from Boeing to 250.
With the latest order, Air India now has 198 new Boeing aircraft yet to be delivered. So far, the airline has received 52 aircraft from the original 220 ordered in 2023, including 51 737-8 aircraft now operating with subsidiary value carrier Air India Express, and one new 787-9 scheduled to enter commercial service between Mumbai and Frankfurt from February 1, 2026.
Paul Righi, Boeing Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, Eurasia, India and South Asia, said: “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. We value Air India’s confidence in the 737-10 and 737-8 to provide the capacity and versatility they need as a cornerstone of their single-aisle growth strategy.” (DD News)
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Rishikant Singh
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Historically, late Shri JRD Tata was not fond of real estate, as much as his managers in Air India were.
However, after much persuasion, he would agree. Air India had acquired office properties and residential in some cities in prime positions e.g. Bond street in London, properties in Sydney, Hongkong, residential lease and parking in NYC, and many others.
The only exception was a bungalow in Geneva overlooking lake Geneve which he bought for the Manager for Switzerland.
Sale of these properties bolstered the financials in the reign of successive CEOs from government, private, or thru the ranks.
JRD believed that Air India with a multi-national operation almost exclusively outside of India, must ensure his Managers lived a high-class lifestyle, to associate with and attract the hoi-polloi of local society, who by association would add credence, status, and goodwill, not just to AirIndia, but to the Tata brand, and to India. Of course, salaries never kept up with private sector, and later even with the government sector. for over half the workforce classified as non-licenced
The golf club memberships of Air Indians, the luxurious residences, unlimited entertainment budgets (for practical purposes), the royal lineages of many of the non-Roman Catholic and Parsee managers, with the latter living western lifestyles, were all thought of towards JRDs overarching branding vision since inception of the airline pre-independence days.
From the days of leadership giants, the succeeding minnows with small minds and limited vision, pedigree, and outlook, got in, and/or rose up the ranks.
In subsequent decades of 70s and 80s properties were being sold. The minnows neither resisted, but potentially set in motion actions, or the lack of it, thus abetting to destroy the brand of Air India, that enjoyed phenomenal global value and recall due international footprint, like none other from India, and possibly half the aviation world.
Nationalisation and bureaucratisation was resisted since 50s, but the fortress crumbled by continued attack from the government, and those laying waste and grabbing away spoils from within.
The last vestiges of the resistance and brave front fell with the dismissal of JRD as Chairperson, working honorary, by PM Morarji Desai of Janata Dal, allegedly playing out animosity of traditional Gujaratis, as the Parsees were seen as westernised pro-British, then pro-Nehru and Congress, and Pro-Indira by association, and western tastes and lifestyles, disconnected from the ordinary and poor masses, despite many being kind-hearted, generous, and charitable
Even the subsequent restoration to Chairmanship of JRD was too little, too late. The infiltration of bureaucrats and children of politicians, judges, bureaucrats thru back-door appointments, along with initial RC-Parsee dominance and induction of children and relatives of employees with associated . This had its share of pluses and minuses, as had the diversification of the workforce, and various government policies that came to bear in full force.
The citadel had fallen by the early 80s. Any chance of revival of the brand, or addition of real estate, was cut short by various shortcomings.
Since the 80s, each dept. became a fiefdom and citadel of sorts, intent on maximisation of benefits of individuals, and fellow constituent members, to the exclusion of corporate needs and goals.
Professionalism became a casualty, with decline and dilution of merit all around.
The government constituents plundered it from outside, while the rats within burrowed it from inside.
The beginning of the end was scripted in 1950s, but accelerated since late 70s.
The ownership of Air India since has come a full-cycle, with mantle passing back to the Tata group.
A new breed of leadership in charge is trying to reshape its destiny, as best as they understand and are capable of
Hope new real estate additions will accrue, unless the strategy is to be asset-lite
One wishes well for the future of Air India, and all of India and its aviation sector.
Rishikant Singh, Former AI Head, NYC
February 4, 2026