Age isn’t the issue: Indian airlines have some of the youngest fleets globally — and they’re getting younger

Of the 188 aircraft that Air India had operational before the Ahmedabad crash, 43 are more than 15 years old, while 27 others are aged between 10 and 15 years, according to government data presented to Parliament this March. A total of 59 Air India aircraft are aged between 5 and 10 years, while 69 are less than five years old. This means 37 percent of Air India’s fleet is over 10 years old.

Air India placed orders for 405 new aircraft in 2023-24 – 305 in 2023 and 100 in 2024. These orders are part of a total of 1,359 new aircraft orders by various Indian airlines since 2022.

Similarly, of the 437 aircraft that IndiGo has operational, nine are more than 15 years old, while 24 are aged between 10 and 15 years, according to government data presented to Parliament this March. A total of 140 IndiGo aircraft are aged between 5 and 10 years, while 265 are less than five years old. This means 7.6 percent of IndiGo's fleet is over 10 years old.

However, while the oldest IndiGo's oldest plane is an Airbus A320-200 (VT-IKK), which is 19 years old, Air India's oldest plane is an Airbus A319-100 (VT-SCF), which is 18.7 years old.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft that plunged into a deadly crash in Ahmedabad was 11.5 years old and had flown for more than 41,000 hours, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed. It was delivered to Air India on January 28, 2014.

"The aircraft had 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats. It had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, and almost 8,000 take-offs and landings, including some 700 cycles in the past 12 months. This is average for that aircraft build year/period," stated Cirium.

Average age of aircraft fleets of international airlines 

In comparison the average age of the global fleet has risen to a record 14.8 years, a significant increase from the 13.6-year average for the period 1990-2024, the International Air Transport Association said in January 2025.

IATA, the trade organisation for 340 airlines around the world, said the decline reflects supply chain issues involving aircraft makers and engine makers.

"Aircraft deliveries have fallen sharply from the peak of 1,813 aircraft in 2018," IATA said. "The estimate for 2024 deliveries is 1,254 aircraft, a 30 percent shortfall on what was predicted going into the year."

The second and third largest airline fleets in the world operated by Delta Airlines and United Airlines are also one of the oldest in the world, with an average fleet age of 15.2 years and 16.3 years, respectively. American Airlines, which operates the largest fleet of aircraft in the world, has an average age of 12.3 years for its fleet.

Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Republic Airways, Air Canada, Emirates, Air China and Qatar Airways also have an average fleet age of 13.6 years, 13.6 years, 13.1 years, 13 years, 12.1 years, 10.2 years, 9.6 years and 8.8 years, respectively.

What are the Indian government's rules behind operating older aircraft?

"The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not prescribed guidelines specifying a lifespan for an aircraft to fly in India. Aircraft are considered airworthy provided the maintenance is as per the approved schedule laid down by the manufacturer. Aircraft registered in India may operate as long as the type certificate is valid for the type of aircraft and the aircraft is under production/maintenance support provided by the manufacturer for continuous operation," the government said in its parliamentary reply.

The aircraft may be withdrawn from operation by an operator if it becomes ‘beyond economic repair’ or is ‘permanently withdrawn from use’ for any reason, such as spares not being available, the government added.

Checkered history of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

While age was not a major concern in the crash of Air India Flight 171, the model of the plane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, could have played a role.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is one of the industry’s most modern and celebrated jets but has seen numerous complaints, concerns, and whistleblower reports over the safety of the widebody jet.

The problems began in early 2013, when fires broke out aboard two Dreamliners owned by Japanese airlines. One plane had just landed at Boston’s Logan Airport, the other was just leaving Japan and had to turn around and land. Both blazes were traced to overheating of the planes’ lithium-ion batteries that power the electrical system.

Air India had also faced issues with its Dreamliner fleet in 2013 due to battery malfunctions. The problems led the then government-owned airline to temporarily ground its six Boeing 787 aircraft. Boeing later compensated Air India for the disruptions caused by the technical faults.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had stepped in, grounding the worldwide fleet of Dreamliners and temporarily halting the delivery of new ones to airlines that had placed orders for them.

In April of 2013, the FAA accepted Boeing’s fixes, which involved better insulation for the batteries and a stainless steel box that would house the batteries and prevent smoke or flames from escaping into the plane if a fire did start. The Dreamliners were cleared to fly and the company was cleared to resume deliveries within weeks of the FAA’s decision.

In 2019, John Barnett, a former quality manager who retired in 2017, then revealed that he had filed a whistleblower complaint, alleging sloppy work around the wires that connect the planes’ flight control systems, with metal shavings being left behind when bolts were fastened. The risk existed that the shavings would penetrate the wires’ insulation, leading to consequences that Barnett called “catastrophic.”

Barnett also alleged that damaged or substandard parts were being installed in 787s, including a dented hydraulic tube that a senior manager retrieved from a bin of what was supposed to contain scrap.

The FAA inspected several 787s that were said to be free of the shavings Barnett reported and found that they were indeed there. The FAA then ordered that Boeing correct the problems before the planes were delivered to customers.

Last year as well another whistleblower, engineer Sam Salehpour, came forward, reporting that sections of the fuselage of the Dreamliner were improperly connected, with gaps that could cause the plane to break apart during flight. When the sections wouldn’t fit, Salehpour claimed, workers would resort to brute force.

However, Boeing defended the integrity of the Dreamliner saying, "For the in-service fleet, based on comprehensive analysis no safety issues have been identified related to composite gap management and our engineers are completing exhaustive analysis to determine any long-term inspection and maintenance required, with oversight from the FAA."

While the exact reasons for the Air India crash are yet to be found out, the crash also highlights that even next-generation aircraft are not immune to failure when systemic cracks in maintenance, pilot training, regulatory oversight and operational pressure are left unchecked.

With over 200 lives lost in minutes, the incident is forcing the aviation world to confront a hard truth: the danger no longer lies in outdated planes alone but in the widening gap between aviation’s rapid growth and its ability to safely sustain it.

How many Boeing 787s are being operated by Indian airlines?

As of June 15, 2025, there were 1,148 Boeing 787 variants currently in service across the world. Air India and IndiGo are the two Indian airlines operating the B787 planes. As of 2025, Air India operates 34 Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

Of the 34 Boeing 787s in Air India’s fleet, 27 are older B787-8 aircraft. The first of these legacy jets is scheduled for retrofit in July. The remaining seven, newer B787-9s, were added to the fleet following the last year’s merger with Vistara.