Airlines list 2026 plans: Air India to bring back first 2 Boeing 787-8, IndiGo to induct Airbus A321XLR

Six brand-new wide-body aircraft, comprising 787s and A350s, will also arrive, and the refit of Air India's 777 fleet will commence, Air India Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal said.

Mumbai: Two major domestic carriers Air India and IndiGo on Wednesday unveiled their plans for 2026 with Tata Group-owned Air India saying that the first two Boeing 787-8 from its legacy fleet with full interior-refit will re-enter services in February and IndiGo announcing that it is all set to induct its first Airbus A321XLR in 2026.

IndiGo, which earlier this month cancelled thousands of flights and caused severe hardships to lakhs of passengers across airports, also said the "learnings" from the year gone by enables it to enhance its operational reliability, among others.

"The full interior refit of our legacy widebody fleet, including new seats and entertainment systems, with the first two 787s re-entering service in February and two more each month thereafter," Air India Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal said in a letter to the airline's loyalty programme, Maharaj Club members.

Six brand-new wide-body aircraft, comprising 787s and A350s, will also arrive, and the refit of Air India's 777 fleet will commence, he said.

By the end of 2026, nearly 65 per of the airline's widebody fleet and over 50 per cent of its international services will feature modern, top-of-the-line cabins, he added.

Aggarwal also said Air India's new flagship international lounge at Delhi Airport will open in early 2026, followed by a new lounge at San Francisco International Airport.

"We'll also commence work on an upgrade of the New York JFK lounge and a new domestic lounge at Delhi," he said.

The operating environment presented periods of industry-wide challenges this year, including IndiGo's major operational disruption, "regrettably impacting the airline's valued customers for which IndiGo has profusely apologised", the airline said.

The airline rapidly restored its network and operations to normal and continues to focus on further strengthening its operational processes and resilience, it added.

IndiGo said it expects to close 2025 with over 123 million passengers, up from 113 million it carried in 2024.

The airline also said it is all set to induct India's first Airbus A321XLR, launch non-stop services to Athens and continue international expansion in the new year, while densifying its domestic network.

"As we step into the New Year, there's opportunity to reflect on the story so far, take stock of the progress made and learn from the operational challenges we encountered," said Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo.