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Air India is in talks to secure a $200 million bank loan through its GIFT City-based subsidiary AI Fleet Services IFSC Ltd. to purchase a fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft from a US-based leasing company according to an Economic Times report. Air India To Buy Boeing 777  After persistent supply chain challenges and delivery delays Air India wants to improve its wide-body fleet particularly for long-haul India-US routes. The loan will help Air India reduce the capacity gap until its new aircraft orders begin arriving. Media reports citing sources revealed that discussions around the funding which began earlier this year had temporarily slowed after the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad last month but talks have again resumed. The terms of the loan are still being finalized and could be linked to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). Air India is already operating the six Boeing 777 aircraft and now wants to purchase some of which are 11 to 13 years old as per data from Flightradar24. These aircraft play a critical role in maintaining service on high-demand transcontinental routes. Air India’s Earlier Orders For Boeing  Since the Tata Group acquired the airline in January 2022 Air India has placed orders for 570 new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. To speedup fleet expansion the airline is also considering acquiring 50 Boeing 737 Max jets that were originally intended for Chinese carriers. Through its GIFT City-registered entity Air India handles aircraft purchases and leases for both its full-service operations under the Air India brand and budget carrier Air India Express. The proposed loan will support the group’s broader goal of scaling up operations and improving global connectivity.