Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said 2026 will mark the "most significant change" in the airline’s customer experience, as the carrier progresses through its multi-year fleet modernisation and retrofit programme while navigating ongoing supply-chain constraints.
Speaking to a group of journalists in Delhi at the Air India Training academy in Gurgaon, Wilson said 524 aircraft from Air India’s order of 570 remain to be delivered. As of now, 82%, or 104 aircraft of Air India’s narrow-body fleet has been modernised, with over 150 upgraded at the group level.
Seventeen older A321s and A320ceos, originally intended for retirement, have been retained due to slower-than-expected Airbus and Boeing deliveries. "They have very little resale value, so we will refit them as well. We have to procure the seats, which will happen in 2026," he said. The initial phase of narrow-body refits is complete.
Across the group, major wide-body upgrades are also underway. Retrofit work on 50 Air India Express B737-8 aircraft will be completed by mid-2026. The first two refurbished B787-8s will return from Victorville, California in early 2026, with all 26 legacy Dreamliners upgraded by mid-2027. Air India’s first line-fit B787-9 is scheduled to arrive by the end of 2025.
By end-2026, the airline expects delivery of six new wide bodies: A350-1000s and B787-9s, and at least 20 new narrow bodies. "Our wide bodies with modern interiors will double to 36 by end-2026. That means 57% of our widebody fleet will feature the new product, almost double today’s," Wilson said.
New international food and beverage menus will be introduced soon, and upcoming aircraft, both new and retrofitted will offer upgraded cabins, Wi-Fi and BYOD entertainment. A new international lounge at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 will open in December, followed by a new domestic lounge in the second half of 2026.
On the operational front, Wilson highlighted growing training and maintenance capabilities. The airline recently inaugurated a simulator facility with Airbus that will house more than 20 simulators over time. A flying school in Amravati with 34 trainer aircraft remains on track for a 2026 start, while the first phase of an MRO facility in Bengaluru will also become operational next year.
Wilson confirmed that 95% of families affected by the AI 171 tragedy have received interim compensation, with 70 families having obtained ex-gratia payments from the AI 171 Trust and another 50 in process.
He acknowledged that bookings dipped immediately after the tragedy but said demand has since recovered. “We have operated a well-operated one lakh flights since June, carried 50 million-odd people, and volumes have come back.”
Air India's punctuality, he noted, has improved by 10 percentage points over last year. The airline handles departures "every 70 seconds on average across the world."
Wilson said Air India temporarily cut 15% of its widebody network after the AI 171 Tragedy but reinstated most routes by October, except some like Washington DC and Nairobi for economic reasons. On US-bound sectors, he cited airspace restrictions, refuelling needs, longer flying times and payload constraints as factors dampening demand, along with visa delays. “These are transitory. We remain confident of long-term opportunities,” he added.
Although Air India is set to receive new aircraft through 2026, Wilson said overall capacity next year will not change significantly because some jets will be returned to lessors and others will enter the retrofit pipeline. “The whole industry is constrained with supply-chain challenges,” he said.
The carrier now has over 100 interline partners and more than 20 codeshare agreements, up from zero at the time of privatisation. Wilson also confirmed that soon, passengers will be able to redeem Maharaja Miles on Air India Express.