Air India Express (IX, Delhi International) has scheduled the delivery flight of its first B737-8, from Seattle Boeing Field via Reykjavik Keflavik and Kuwait to Hyderabad International, for September 28-30, 2023, to be followed by a second on September 29-October 1, 2023, ch-aviation schedule analysis has revealed.

As previously reported, the LCC's first B737 MAX will be units originally earmarked for Chinese airlines. ch-aviation research shows the first aircraft, VT-BXA (msn 61639), was poised to deliver to Shanghai Airlines (FM, Shanghai Hongqiao) while the second, VT-BXD (msn 61658), was not taken up by China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao). The aircraft will be delivered to India in Shanghai Airlines' and an all-white livery, respectively, and will be repainted in India.

The reassignment took place due to the ongoing pause of all B737 MAX deliveries to China, which is expected to end soon.

Air India (AI, Delhi International) Chief Executive and Managing Director Campbell Wilson confirmed in an interview with the Times of India that the B737 MAX deliveries had been delayed due to supply chain constraints. The airline initially expected its first MAX in July/August 2023.

"The number of MAX we expect to receive by the end of this fiscal year - ten to twelve - is a little lower than we had anticipated - fifteen - due to an issue Boeing is having which is adding a few weeks to each aircraft," Wilson conceded.

The group plans to take 140 B737-8s and fifty B737-10s.

Wilson said deliveries of the first A350-900s, expected in the fourth quarter of 2023, have also been slightly delayed.

"We should get five if not, as expected, six by next March. There's a little bit of delay on the first one because some extra tests were needed on some of the seats by the seat manufacturer. This calendar year, we are certainly expecting one A350 and possibly two. While these delays are obviously not welcome, it's not the end of the world," he said.

Air India has six A350-900s and thirty-four A350-1000s on order from Airbus.

Wilson underlined that the airline was adding leased A320neo Family aircraft in tandem with deliveries directly from the manufacturers. The ch-aviation fleets module shows Air India has 140 A320-200Ns and seventy A321-200Ns on order from Airbus but plans to add around 25 more aircraft from lessors over the next year.