DELHI, 14 January 2026: Air India welcomed its first line-fit (made-for-Air India) Boeing 787-9, which landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday.
The cockpit crew comprised four Air India pilots who completed a nonstop ferry flight of 16 hours and 58 minutes from Boeing’s Everett factory in Washington state to New Delhi.
The new aircraft, registered VT-AWA, is configured with 296 seats across three cabin classes: Business, premium economy, and economy. The aircraft features bespoke cabin interiors installed directly on Boeing’s production line. The new Boeing 787-9 is expected to enter international, long-haul commercial service in February 2026.
In 2026, six widebody aircraft deliveries are expected (Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 787-9), including the recently delivered VT-AWA. The new Boeing 787-9 cabins will set a new benchmark across the Boeing 787 fleet. In line with this, 26 of Air India’s legacy Boeing 787-8 aircraft are progressively undergoing retrofits. The programme is well underway, with many of these aircraft scheduled to complete the process and return to service with a refreshed nose-to-tail refit in 2026, including a new livery featuring the Air India brand. This effectively means that by the end of this year, nearly 60% of our widebody fleet will have modern interiors.
(Source: Air India)
