Air India (AI, Delhi International) is preparing to place a double-digit order for widebodies and may announce it during the upcoming Paris Air Show, reports The Economic Times citing unnamed sources. The order, which could exceed 50 aircraft, would likely be split between Airbus and Boeing and involve the A350 and B777X.

Air India is working through a large-scale fleet renewal campaign. In February 2023, it ordered 470 aircraft split between Airbus and Boeing, and in December 2024 it added ten incremental A350 Family widebodies and ninety incremental A320neo Family narrowbodies to the order.

According to ch-aviation fleets data, Air India's orderbook across both manufacturers stands at 374 aircraft, with 300 of those being Airbus narrowbodies. Another 149 aircraft, all Boeing narrowbodies, are due to low-cost subsidiary Air India Express (IX, Delhi International). Both airlines are owned by Tata Sons. Any future order for widebodies would help balance out the skew towards narrowbodies in the existing orders.

"Things should become clearer closer to the Paris Air Show," the source said. Air India called the report "speculation."

In April 2024, local rival and India's largest airline, IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International), placed a firm order for thirty A350-900s, plus options for another 70, heralding its move into long-haul operations and breaking away from its narrowbody-only operating model. Both airlines are looking to capture a bigger share of the Indian outbound travel market, which is currently growing faster than the domestic market.

However, earlier this week, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the global aircraft shortage could last another five years. "There is not a lot we can do," he said. "We are victims of circumstance, as is every other airline."

The Economic Times report also follows comments from Wilson last month about Boeing. He said Air India would hold off exercising its 70 options there, saying the manufacturer needed to clear its backlog first.

"We don't want to commit to anything until we have confidence of when it's going to come," he said. "And likewise, they don't want to offer something until they have confidence of when it's going to come."

ch-aviation has contacted Air India for comment.