Air India receives first upgraded Boeing 787-8 in Delhi from California as $400 million refurbishment plan progresses

Air India’s first refurbished wide-body Boeing 787-8 aircraft arrived at Delhi Airport on Monday, marking a major milestone more than three years after the Tata Group-owned carrier unveiled a $400 million plan to overhaul its older twin-aisle fleet.

The aircraft, registered as VT-ANT, completed a non-stop ferry flight from San Bernardino in the United States, travelling across the Pacific before landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 10 pm, the airline said.

San Bernardino International Airport in California serves as a key centre for the maintenance, painting, and storage of Boeing aircraft.

Air India on Monday inducted its first retrofitted twin-aisle Boeing 787-8 aircraft, registered VT-ANT, marking the completion of a full cabin refurbishment for the first of its 26 B787 planes, the airline said.

The airline’s legacy wide-body fleet, which has been incurring losses, includes Boeing 787-8s and B777s that operate on long-haul routes to destinations across the UK, Europe, the United States, and the Far East.

The aircraft underwent extensive interior upgrades at Boeing’s modification facility in Victorville, California, and was later repainted in Air India’s new livery at AeroPro, an FAA Part-145 certified aircraft painting unit in California.

After obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and clearances, the aircraft completed a non-stop ferry flight from San Bernardino to Delhi, the airline added.

Air India's plan to upgrade its wide-body fleet

Air India, which returned to private ownership in January 2022 after the Tata Group reacquired it from the government, had announced in December that year a plan to upgrade its entire legacy wide-body fleet, comprising 27 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and 13 B777 aircraft, with an investment of over $400 million.

The programme involves a complete revamp of cabin interiors, including the installation of next-generation seats and upgraded in-flight entertainment systems across all classes.

It also includes the introduction of a premium economy cabin on both aircraft types, with the first refurbished plane expected to enter service.

“The retrofit programme is an important step forward in Air India’s transformation journey. As we advance, it will help provide a consistent experience across the fleet with a three-class cabin configuration with luxurious Business Class seats, India’s only Premium Economy, and an enhanced Economy cabin,” Air India said last year.

However, the project faced delays due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical challenges, and work began only in July last year when the first of the 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft was sent to the Victorville facility for retrofitting.

Air India’s Boeing 787-8 fleet was reduced to 26 aircraft after one of the planes was lost in a crash in Ahmedabad in June last year.

(With inputs from agency)