Air India has an ageing fleet problem but it’s trying to fix it

A third of the airline’s fleet is over 10 years old; renewal plan is underway but it’s slow

- BY JUSTIN VARGHESE Your Money Editor

In February 2023, Air India made aviation history with one of the world’s largest aircraft deals — 470 new planes from Airbus and Boeing worth a staggering $70 billion at listed prices. But behind that headline-grabbing move lies a more sobering reality: a large portion of the airline’s current fleet is ageing — and in some cases, fast becoming obsolete.

According to government data, 43 of Air India’s operational aircraft were over 15 years old, while 27 others fell into the 10-15-year range as of early 2025. That means more than a third — 37 per cent — of Air India’s fleet is over 10 years old.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad in mid-2025 was 11.5 years old and had clocked more than 41,000 flight hours, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It was by no means ancient — many global carriers fly aircraft older than that — but it cast a harsh light on the state of Air India’s legacy fleet.