The aviation world is closely monitoring the fallout from the recent Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad. With over 1,000 Dreamliners currently in operation globally, questions naturally arise about the composition of the fleets of major Indian carriers like Air India and IndiGo.
Air India's Dreamliner Fleet
As of June 2025, Air India operates a substantial fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Before the crash, the airline had 33 active Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet. According to the website, the average age of these planes is about 9.6 years. The fleet consists of both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants. Specifically, there were 26 of the 787-8 model, one of which was involved in the Ahmedabad incident, and seven 787-9 aircraft acquired after the merger with Vistara. The average age of the 787-8 and 787-9 models are 10.9 and 4.7 years respectively.
Air India has been operating Dreamliners for over 12 years, since September 2012, making it the first Indian operator and the fifth globally to fly this aircraft type. The Dreamliner is crucial to Air India's international expansion plans, with the aircraft serving routes connecting key Indian cities to destinations like London, Dubai, Melbourne, Sydney, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vienna, Milan, and Nairobi.
Following the Ahmedabad crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated enhanced safety inspections for Air India's entire Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliner fleet. These inspections, which are to begin on June 15, 2025, include checks on fuel parameter monitoring, cabin air compressor systems, electronic engine control systems, and engine fuel driven actuators. Additionally, the DGCA has called for increased "flight control inspections" during transit and power assurance checks within two weeks. The Indian government is also considering temporarily grounding Air India’s Boeing 787-8 fleet for safety reviews.
IndiGo's Dreamliner Strategy
IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share, has recently embarked on its own long-haul expansion, but its approach to the Dreamliner is quite different from Air India's. Instead of purchasing these aircraft, IndiGo has opted for a damp lease model.
As of May 2025, IndiGo has a damp lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways for six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Under this arrangement, Norse Atlantic provides the aircraft and crew, while IndiGo handles maintenance and insurance. This allows IndiGo to expand its wide-body operations without significant capital investment.
One of these aircraft has been operating on the Delhi-Bangkok route since March 1, 2025. The remaining three from the initial lease are expected to join the fleet in the second half of 2025, and the final two are slated to begin operations by early 2026. These leased 787-9s are configured with a two-class layout, including a premium economy section branded as IndiGo Stretch. IndiGo plans to deploy these aircraft on long-haul routes, with Manchester and Amsterdam set to be the first European destinations, commencing in July 2025. The airline also intends to expand its long-haul network to include London and Copenhagen as its 787 fleet grows.
The Broader Context
Both Air India and IndiGo are strategically maneuvering to capture a larger share of the growing international passenger traffic in and out of India. Air India, under the Tata Group, is revamping its aging fleet and expanding its network, while IndiGo is leveraging the damp lease model to enter the long-haul market with greater flexibility.
