Air India seeks later Airbus and Boeing deliveries

Air India is pressing Airbus and Boeing to push back deliveries of hundreds of aircraft as it resets capital spending and trims capacity. The carrier is in talks over a slower induction profile rather than a cancellation, with as many as 500 future slots under review and many of them concentrated in 2027 and 2028.

The move follows a sharper loss-reduction mandate from Tata Group after the turnaround plan ran into heavier financial strain. Air India has already weighed cuts of about 100 long-haul flights through July 2026, covering Europe, North America and Australia. The shift points to a harder line on fleet growth, with delivery timing now tied to cash burn and network discipline.