Phê Vé
April 12, 2026 • 3 min read
Air India is revamping the interiors of its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft. Although the process has been slow, the airline is making significant strides.
The Transformation of Air India
In late 2021, Air India was officially acquired by the Tata Group, marking the return of the airline’s original owner. Since then, Air India's leadership has been working tirelessly to restructure and modernize the airline. To be honest, this isn’t an easy task, especially considering the state of their fleet and the significant setback from the AI171 incident in June 2025.
Investment in New Interiors
At the end of 2022, Air India announced plans to upgrade the interiors of its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft, introducing entirely new cabins with premium seating. At the beginning of 2023, the airline also placed a substantial order for hundreds of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, valued at tens of billions of dollars. However, the implementation of these plans has been slow.
Details of the Upgrade
Air India will upgrade not only the cabins of its existing aircraft but also introduce a premium economy product across its long-haul fleet. The airline will retain first class on the 777, while the 787 will not feature a first-class cabin. These aircraft will not only have new seating but will also see a reconfiguration of the seating layout.
Expected Timeline for Completion
Initially, the plan was for the first reconfigured aircraft to enter service by mid-2024 and be completed within the next 2.5 years, targeting late 2026 or early 2027. However, due to supply chain issues, this timeline has now been pushed back, and the entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
The First Upgrade
The first 787-8 with the new interior is expected to enter service soon, registered as VT-ANT. Air India aims to complete upgrades for all 26 of its older 787-8s before July 2027. The first 787-8 is set to operate from Delhi (DEL) to London (LHR) on May 1, 2026, followed by a route expansion to Mumbai (BOM) on June 30, 2026.
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Seating Configuration Changes
These aircraft will feature a seating configuration of 250, including 20 business class seats, 25 premium economy seats, and 205 economy seats. Compared to the old configuration of 259 seats, the reduction of 9 seats while adding 2 business class and 25 premium economy seats is a sensible economic move.
Other Aircraft Upgrades
The first 777-300ER is scheduled for an upgrade in early 2027, with plans to complete all 13 of these by October 2028. In the meantime, Air India is also making some temporary changes to its 777-300ERs, such as updating seat covers and carpets to enhance passenger experience.
Air India's Long-Term Fleet
Currently, Air India is also leasing several aircraft previously operated by other airlines to improve passenger experience and increase capacity. For instance, the airline has leased some Boeing 777-200LRs from Delta and 777-300ERs from Etihad Airways, which belong to a newer generation of aircraft compared to the existing long-term fleet.
Business Class Upgrades
It’s interesting that Air India is maintaining first class on the 777 while many other airlines have eliminated this class in favor of upgrading business class. The airline will also introduce fully flat business class seats with direct aisle access, marking a significant improvement over the current design.
Final Thoughts
Air India is currently investing hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the interiors of its Boeing 777 and 787 fleets. The airline will retain first class on the 777, introduce a new business class, and add premium economy across all long-haul aircraft. However, it is unfortunate that the timeline for these plans has been extended, with the new aircraft projected to be completed by mid-2026 and the 777 by early 2027.
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