Air India took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, registered VT-JRA, in its new livery on 23 December. The carrier says the aircraft is first of its 20 A350-900s on order, with five more to be delivered through March 2024. It adds that it has become the first Indian airline to fly the A350. The aircraft was delivered from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. It is scheduled to enter commercial service in January 2024, initially operating on domestic routes. Fleets data shows that MSN 554 is owned by AI Fleet Services (AIFS), the airline's fully-owned subsidiary incorporated in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). The widebody is configured with 28 business class suites, 24 premium economy and 264 economy class seats. "This moment marks a red-letter day for all of us at Air India," states Air India chief executive and managing director Campbell Wilson. "The A350 is not just metal and engines; it's the flying embodiment of the relentless efforts of all Air India employees towards our airline's continuing transformation and of our commitment to setting new benchmarks. Air India has placed firm orders for 250 new aircraft with Airbus including 20 A350-1000s.

SriLankan Airlines has added a leased Airbus A320ceo to its fleet, with several more leased aircraft and engines expected to join in the coming weeks. The A320ceo will be leased for six years and brings the airline's fleet to 22 aircraft. The additional leased aircraft and engines will help the airline alleviate the challenging year due to shortages of available aircraft and engines.

Private Russian carriers S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines have reached insurance settlements with lessors covering a total of 64 aircraft. S7 says that it has completed settlements with a group of "foreign lessors" relating to 45 medium-haul aircraft, totalling almost half of its fleet, along with four engines. These settlements, which were reached with the participation of Russian insurance company NSK, were with lessors including AerCap, Air Lease Corporation (ALC) and SMBC Aviation Capital. S7 says these agreements terminate claims against Russian parties under both insurance policies and lease agreements for the aircraft. Ural Airlines says it has completed the insurance settlement process for 19 Airbus aircraft with AerCap. In a 21 December regulatory update, AerCap says that it received cash insurance settlement proceeds of approximately $572 million in relation to 18 aircraft and one spare engine with Ural Airlines, and 29 aircraft and four spare engines with S7. The lessor says it has a separate claim against its all-risk insurers under its contingent and possessed insurance policies, which relates to these 47 aircraft and five spare engines, and covers approximately $836 million. This claim will be amended in due course to "reflect these recoveries," it adds. AerCap says insurance settlement discussions are ongoing with respect to its remaining claims under the insurance policies of S7 and other Russian airlines. "It is uncertain whether any of these discussions will result in any insurance settlement or receipt of insurance settlement proceeds," it adds. Also in a 21 December regulatory update, ALC says it received cash insurance settlement proceeds of approximately $64.9 million in regard to its insurance claims against S7 for three A320s and one A321, and now releases its claims. Another five A321neo jets previously on lease to S7 were not included in the insurance settlement, the US lessor highlights. ALC says further settlement discussions regarding aircraft previously leased to Russian airlines are ongoing. However, it adds that it is "uncertain whether any of these discussions will result in any settlement or receipt of settlement proceeds and, if so, in what amount". The California-based lessor notes that it took legal action in December 2022 in the Los Angeles county superior court against its aviation insurance carriers in connection with its previously submitted insurance claims. While receipt of these insurance settlement proceeds serve to mitigate, in part, ALC's losses under its aviation insurance policies, the lessor asserts it "continues to have significant claims against its aviation insurance carriers and will continue to vigorously pursue all available insurance claims and its related insurance litigation, and all rights and remedies therein".