Air India (AI, Delhi International) is considering acquiring more widebody aircraft to assist in plans to expand its longhaul network. Airline sources who spoke to India's Express newspaper on condition of anonymity said the state-owned carrier would likely come up with a draft plan during the coming months of this year.

”We have not added too many wide-body planes in the fleet in the last couple of years, except the induction of Dreamliners from the 2005 order," they said. "We are now considering expanding this fleet as well by adding some long range Boeing aircraft going forward."

Air India's widebody fleet is an all-Boeing (BOE, Washington National) operation consisting of five B747-400s, three B777-200(LR)s, twelve B777-300(ER)s, and twenty-one B787-8s. A further six B787-8s, along with three more B777-300(ER)s, are due for delivery by March 2018.

Air India currently uses the aircraft on high-density domestic routes as well as on flights to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Australia, France, Italy, and Austria. New destinations reportedly on the cards include Houston Intercontinental, Washington Dulles, Stockholm Arlanda and various destinations across Africa.