Air India aims to complete B787-8 retrofit programme by Q1 2028

Air India plans to complete the retrofit of its entire Boeing 787-8 fleet by the first quarter of 2028, its chief customer experience officer Rajesh Dogra said on Sunday, outlining a timeline to overhaul the airline’s ageing widebody cabins.

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There are 26 legacy B787-8 planes in Air India’s fleet, he told Business Standard at an event at Delhi airport where the airline showcased its first retrofitted B787-8 aircraft. The aircraft has been upgraded from a two-class layout to a three-class configuration, with new business, premium economy, and economy cabins.

The airline has embarked on a $400 million programme to modernise its legacy fleet. Dogra said, “Around seven to eight B787-8 aircraft are expected to be retrofitted by the end of this year, and the entire B787-8 fleet should be completed by the first quarter of 2028.”

Retrofitting refers to a comprehensive overhaul of an aircraft’s interiors, including new seats, upgraded in-flight entertainment systems, and cabin redesign, aimed at bringing older aircraft in line with newer product standards. Due to global supply chain issues, Air India’s retrofit programme has been facing delays.

Dogra also outlined plans for the airline’s Boeing 777 fleet, saying, “In the second half of next year, we plan to start the retrofit programme for the B777 planes, including both B777-200 and B777-300ER variants.” He said the airline has 19 such aircraft and “their retrofitment is expected to be completed in 2029.”

On whether the B787-9 aircraft inherited from Vistara would also be retrofitted, Dogra said a decision is yet to be taken. “We will later decide whether to send the B787-9 planes for retrofitting as well. We would like them to have the same seating configuration as the newly retrofitted B787-8 that you saw today, but no decision has been taken yet.”

In a statement on Sunday, Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer and managing director at Air India, said: “This is yet another milestone in our transformation journey as we welcome this retrofitted B787-8 aircraft.”