Air India’s on-time performance jumps as airline modernises its widebody fleet

Air India’s climb to fourth place in Cirium’s global on-time performance rankings for June comes as the carrier pushes ahead with a broader fleet modernisation drive. The airline said it has inducted three Boeing 787-9 aircraft over the past six months, with more Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350-1000s due later this year.

Two of its legacy Boeing 787-8 aircraft with refurbished interiors have also returned to service, while three more are undergoing upgrades in the United States. “By the end of 2026, more than 50% of Air India’s widebody fleet is expected to feature new or upgraded interiors,” the airline said.

Cirium’s June 2026 report placed Air India’s on-time arrival rate at 86.85% across 15,135 tracked flights, with an on-time departure rate of 86.23% and a completion factor of 99.7%. The airline described the challenges of running one of the country’s largest hub-and-spoke networks, noting its operations are often affected by congestion and air traffic control restrictions at Delhi and Mumbai airports, which can have a cascading impact across the network.

India’s own regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, tracks on-time performance separately and had the Air India Group at 74.5% in May, placing third behind IndiGo and Akasa Air among domestic carriers at ten major airports.