Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 2: Air India Ltd.’s streak of receiving Boeing 737 Max jets amid a global shortage of new planes is nearing its conclusion. The Indian airline has been adding two aircraft a month on average since September 2023, benefiting from a backlog of jets initially built for Chinese carriers. However, this supply stream is expected to dry up by June, leaving Air India uncertain about fresh deliveries in the coming months, sources said.
Air India was able to secure these aircraft due to a supply chain anomaly—Boeing redirected 737 Max jets originally meant for Chinese carriers like Shanghai Airlines Co., which had deferred deliveries over regulatory concerns regarding lithium battery safety in cockpit voice recorders.
Having ordered 190 of these jets in June 2023, Air India’s low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express Ltd., has already taken possession of 41 of the 50 so-called “white-tail” planes—aircraft built for other airlines but left in storage. An additional four are due this month, followed by five more between May and June.
However, with deliveries of the remaining 140 jets unlikely to begin before March 2026, the Tata Group-owned airline faces the risk of losing market share to industry leader IndiGo, which plans to add more than one aircraft per week this year.
Of the 41 white-tail aircraft Air India has received, 38 are operational, while three are undergoing repainting, sources revealed.
Meanwhile, Boeing is preparing to wind down a shadow factory that was used to upgrade these white-tail 737 Max models by this summer. The aerospace giant has already closed a facility where it inspected and repaired the larger 787 Dreamliner. Boeing is also working on ramping up 737 production, aiming to manufacture 38 jets per month by mid-2025.
“We will defer to our customers for any details on their fleet planning,” Boeing stated in an email response. Air India and Air India Express have yet to comment.
Despite its recent aircraft orders—570 in total split between Boeing and Airbus—Air India may not receive fresh single-aisle Boeing deliveries until closer to the end of the current fiscal year, sources said.
Apart from the Boeing white-tail jets, Air India has also acquired six Airbus A350-900s originally intended for Russia’s Aeroflot. Additionally, it has leased 11 Boeing 777s from the market.
Smaller rival Akasa Air, another Boeing 737 Max customer, has expanded its fleet to 27 aircraft in just 30 months, primarily relying on these white-tail planes. However, it continues to face delivery delays for 199 of the 226 aircraft it ordered.