Air India eyes more widebodies, cost cuts under new CEO
Air India CEO Tewolde Gebremariam announced plans to expand the airline's widebody fleet to regain market share from Gulf carriers. The airline is prioritizing cost-cutting measures and operational efficiency to achieve profitability as soon as possible.
Why it matters
This strategy signals a major shift in the Indian aviation landscape as Air India attempts to compete globally following its privatization.
NEW DELHI Air India is seeking to expand its widebody fleet while cutting costs and working toward profitability “as soon as possible,” CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said. “We want to increase our widebody order. Our network and strategy demand more widebodies,” Gebremariam said in his first public appearance since taking charge at the airline last month. He was speaking at the Aviation India Summit 2026. He did not specify how many additional widebodies the airline is seeking. Air India already has 80 on order: 50 A350s, 20 787s and 10 777Xs.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in