Mumbai: Air India Express welcomed its 51st Boeing 737-8 aircraft as a special tribute to the late Ratan Tata, symbolising his enduring vision and the transformative journey of the airline under the Tata Group.
The 51st Boeing 737-8 aircraft bears the registration VT-RNT, which is a unique call sign signifying the initials of Ratan Naval Tata. Its tail fin features a Parsi Gara-inspired livery as a tribute to Tata.
Notably, this is AIX’s first custom-configured line-fit from the historic order. As the first of 140 custom-configured line-fit aircraft to join the fleet directly from Boeing’s Seattle facility, VT-RNT is scheduled to enter commercial service in January 2026.
Configured to Air India Express’s exacting specifications, VT-RNT and its subsequent line-fit sister aircraft feature a cabin designed for the modern traveler. Key enhancements include ergonomic design seats with more legroom and integrated fast-charging power outlets, onboard ovens dedicated to serving hot meals, enhanced ambiance and larger overhead bins for increased cabin baggage capacity.
With the induction of VT-RNT, Air India Express has become India’s largest Boeing operator, with a total fleet now exceeding 100 aircraft. This expansion follows a record-breaking year in 2025, which saw the addition of several A321neo and A320neo aircraft.
Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, said, "Two-thirds of the airline fleet now comprises modern B737-8s and A320/321Neo aircraft, offering better fuel-efficiency and superior on-board comfort. On the back of this rapid fleet growth, we have expanded our network to 60 destinations, adding 12 destinations in 2025 alone.”
The airline has also launched a massive retrofitting program to ensure a standardised 189-seat configuration across 50 of its existing Boeing 737-8s, ensuring that the high standards set by the new line-fit aircraft are felt across the entire network.
The four-legged journey of VT-RNT from Seattle was one of the most tracked flights on online flight tracking platforms as aviation enthusiasts across India and abroad were eager to witness the induction of this historic aircraft. Flightradar24 also posted about the aircraft's journey on social media asking people to track the flight.
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