Air India Begins Large-Scale Fleet Retrofit Project

Air India has begun a $400 million (USD) retrofit of its existing fleet, which will outfit 67 of its legacy widebody and narrowbody aircraft with complete makeovers.

On Monday, September 16, 2024, Air India’s first Airbus A320neo entered the hangar for retrofitting, marking the first step in an ambitious project to modernize its cabins and re-establish itself as a world-class carrier.

Air India Begins Large-Scale Fleet Retrofit

India’s leading global airline, Air India, has begun a $400 million (USD) retrofit program of its legacy fleet, which when complete, will give its legacy widebody and narrowbody aircraft a modern interior upgrade and new livery.

In total, 67 planes will undergo an ambitious revamp, as Air India takes the necessary steps needed to give travellers a more elevated and modern passenger experience.

As part of the refit, planes will feature a modern three-cabin configuration with new and larger seats, new carpets, new curtains, and upholstery in all classes of service.

The single-aisle A320neo is first in line for the upgrade. Air India says the first narrowbody aircraft went into the hangar this week to begin the refurbishment process.

After prototyping and necessary regulatory approvals, the aircraft bearing registration mark VT-EXN is expected to re-enter commercial service by the end 2024, joining the eight recently delivered and operational A320neo aircraft that already feature the upgraded cabin interiors and configuration.

Once refurbished, the A320neo aircraft will feature eight seats in business class, 24 seats with extra legroom in premium economy, and 132 seats in economy.

Added features will include amendments to cabin lighting, more legroom, portable electronic device holders, and up-to-date USB ports for charging mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets.

Carpets, curtains, upholstery, and cabin panels also will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs reinforcing the brand livery.

The business class cabins will offer 40-inch ergonomic seats with a seven-inch recline, an adjustable armrest, footrest and backrest, as well as tray tables deployed at the push of a button.

The premium economy cabins will offer larger seats with a four-inch recline, and a four-way adjustable headrest.

Economy seats are also being ergonomically designed with refreshed upholstery and wider reclining seats.

Going forward, the airline expects to retrofit between three and four narrowbody planes per month with a target date of mid-2025 for all upgrades to be completed.

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India, Campbell Wilson calls the commencement of the refit “an important step in our journey of enhancing the flying experience of our customers. Over time, all the legacy widebody aircraft will also be refitted. This comprehensive upgradation of Air India’s physical product is an important component of Air India transforming into a world-class airline.”

Another Step in Air India’s Transformation

Air India’s entire retrofit program is definitely an ambitious move for the airline, which took delivery of its first modern Airbus A350-900 in January of this year.

Air India recently launched long-haul flights from Delhi to London with the A350, complete with a revamped soft-product to pair with the modern cabins.

North Americans can expect to have the updated non-stop experience when Air India begins service on the Delhi–New York (JFK) route November 1, 2024.

We don’t yet know what the retrofitted widebody cabins will look like; however, in a press release, Air India has indicated that it’s in the final preparation stage for the widebody fleet.

Earlier this year, our Editor-in-Chief T.J. had the chance to visit Air India’s headquarters and chat with Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson.

In the interview, Wilson predicted that the entire legacy fleet would be completely revamped by early 2026. At that point, all of Air India’s widebody fleet should feature modern cabins, including business class seats with sliding doors and direct aisle access.

It’s exciting to see Air India make such ambitious plans, and hopefully the airline is able to reassert itself amongst the leading carriers in the region.

Conclusion

Air India has officially begun a $400 million (USD) retrofit program of its legacy fleet. In total, 67 planes will undergo a complete revamp, giving all of the airline’s legacy aircraft a modern interior upgrade and new livery.

Upgrades to the first of the narrowbody aircraft have already begun, and it’s expected that Air India will retrofit between three and four planes per month. By mid-2025, the retrofit of the narrowbody fleet should be complete, and by then, work on widebody aircraft should have also started.