In late 2021, Air India was privatized by Tata Group, which was Air India’s preliminary proprietor when the corporate was first based. Since then, executives on the firm have been working arduous to rework the airline. Suffice it to say that that is no small activity, given the state of Air India’s fleet (and that claims nothing of the June 2025 crash of AI171, which was one other main setback).
In late 2022, Air India revealed that it will refresh the interiors of its Boeing 777 and 787 plane, with all-new cabins, together with contemporary premium seats. On high of that, in early 2023, Air India positioned a landmark order for lots of of Airbus and Boeing jets, price tens of billions of {dollars}.
Whereas the announcement on the time sounded good, precise progress has been made at a glacial tempo. Air India did not too long ago take supply of its first manufacturing facility contemporary Boeing 787-9, additionally that includes a brand new enterprise class product. There’s now an thrilling replace, as the primary retrofitted Boeing 787-8 with new cabins is anticipated to be in service shortly. Let’s recap all the small print.
Air India investing $400+ million in vast physique jet interiors
Tata Group intends to refresh the interiors of Air India’s current lengthy haul fleet. Right here’s what we are able to count on:
- Air India will likely be refreshing the interiors of its legacy vast physique fleet, together with all Boeing 787-8s and Boeing 777-300ERs (the legacy Vistara Boeing 787-9s aren’t getting new interiors for now)
- Air India is not going to solely be refreshing all cabins (together with new seats, inflight leisure, and Wi-Fi), however can even introduce a premium financial system product throughout its lengthy haul fleet
- Air India will likely be retaining the primary class cabin on its 777s, whereas 787s received’t be getting top quality (no less than that’s the plan final I heard, although who is aware of, given provide chain challenges)
- The planes is not going to solely get new seats, however you possibly can count on the configuration to vary as effectively
So, when can we count on these new interiors to debut on current plane? Initially the plan was for the primary reconfigured plane to enter service as of mid-2024, with all planes being reconfigured inside 2.5 years, that means by late 2026 or early 2027.
That’s not reasonable attributable to provide chain points, and now the expectation is that your entire retrofit undertaking received’t be full till late 2028… and that’s greatest case state of affairs! The most recent plan is for 787s to be reconfigured first, adopted by 777s.
In the summertime of 2025, the primary of those planes was despatched to the “store” to be reconfigured. As is widespread when a brand new sort of plane is reconfigured, the prototype can take fairly a while.
There’s some excellent news, although — the primary 787-8 with new interiors needs to be in service very shortly (with the license plate VT-ANT), with two extra becoming a member of solely a short time after that (with the registration codes VT-ANP and VT-ANC). All 26 legacy Air India 787-8s will likely be reconfigured by July 2027.
The primary reconfigured 787-8 is meant to be flying from Delhi (DEL) to London (LHR) as of Could 1, 2026, earlier than increasing to Mumbai (BOM) as of June 30, 2026, additionally on the London route.
The reconfigured planes characteristic 250 seats, together with 20 enterprise class seats, 25 premium financial system seats, and 205 financial system seats. The outdated configuration included 259 seats, together with 18 enterprise class seats and 241 financial system seats.
So to lose a complete of 9 seats whereas gaining two enterprise class seats and 25 premium financial system seats needs to be fairly good for economics, as I see it.
The primary 777-300ER is then anticipated to be reconfigured in early 2027, with the plan being for all 13 of those plane to be reconfigured by October 2028.
Within the meantime, we’re truly seeing 777-300ERs get a gentle interim makeover, consisting of a mushy refresh, with new cabin finishes, together with seat covers, carpets, and extra.
Clearly all airways have been coping with provide chain points, however that is simply downright tough. Tata Group acquired Air India in late 2021, and it’ll be over 5 years earlier than the primary 777 is reconfigured. Ouch.
Air India’s lengthy haul fleet is a hodgegpoge of planes
Take into account that along with its current legacy lengthy haul fleet, Air India is leasing some jets that used to fly for different airways, totally on a reasonably quick time period foundation (that means that these planes seemingly received’t be in Air India’s fleet in a decade). That is each supposed to enhance the passenger expertise, and so as to add capability.
For instance, Air India has been leasing six former Delta Air Strains Boeing 777-200LRs (that are being phased out proper now) and 6 former Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ERs.
These planes are all considerably extra premium than Air India’s current lengthy haul plane, and have direct aisle entry and totally flat seats in enterprise class. Moreover, the Delta jets characteristic premium financial system, whereas the Etihad jets characteristic top quality.
On high of that, Air India has began flying some Airbus A350-900s, which have been initially supposed for Aeroflot, so that they have non-standard interiors, in comparison with Air India’s deliberate new layouts.
My tackle Air India’s vast physique cabin upgrades
I’m comfortable to see Air India’s funding in its product, although in fact it’s irritating how sluggish that is all occurring. Not solely does the airline have a woefully outdated enterprise class on Boeing 777s (in a 2-3-2 configuration with angled seats), however the cabins on many Air India planes are principally falling aside.
Listed below are some ideas on the overall cabin combination we’re seeing on Air India vast physique jets going ahead:
- It’s attention-grabbing that Air India will keep top quality; some airways have eradicated this whereas introducing a greater enterprise class product, however it appears that evidently Air India is dedicated to sustaining this
- It’s unbelievable that Air India will lastly introduce totally flat enterprise class seats with direct aisle entry and doorways; this will likely be a quantum leap in comparison with the present product
- I’m comfortable to see Air India additionally introducing premium financial system all through the lengthy haul fleet, as India actually looks as if a market the place there’s worth in that, given how lengthy so many flights to the nation are
- The one draw back to the brand new cabins is that on 777s, Air India goes from a 3-3-3 structure in financial system to a 3-4-3 structure; this was sure to occur, and matches the business normal
- As soon as Air India does introduce this new product on planes, I hope the corporate invests in sustaining the seats, since that has traditionally been a serious problem for the airline
Air India’s new 787-8 enterprise class would be the Elevate Ascent seat, which is identical product the airline is putting in on newly delivered 787-9s, however totally different than what will likely be put in on 777-300ERs.
Backside line
Air India is spending lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} updating the cabins on its Boeing 777s and 787s. The airline will keep top quality on 777s, introduce a brand new enterprise class, add premium financial system on all lengthy haul planes, and likewise replace the financial system product.
That is all nice information, although the horrible information is the timeline. Whereas this undertaking was supposed to begin as of mid-2024, the primary 787 with new cabins is now anticipated to enter service as of mid-2026, whereas the primary 777 received’t be reconfigured till early 2027.
The present plan is that each one 787-8s could have new interiors by July 2027, and all 777-300ERs could have new interiors by October 2028. All of that’s greatest case state of affairs.
What do you make of Air India’s plans to replace its cabins?
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