Air India will kick off its widebody cabin retrofit in early 2025, as work to refresh the interiors of its narrowbody fleet gets under way.
The Star Alliance operator says it is in “final preparations” for the widebody cabin refresh, which covers 40 Boeing 787s and 777s and will feature “market-leading seats and in-flight entertainment systems”.
Air India says it is “working closely with seat manufacturers to finalise regulatory certification and expedite production”, though it warns that its retrofit timeline is “subject to [the] supply chain”.
The widebody cabin refresh is part of a $400 million “refit programme” the airline has rolled out, which will see a “phased revamp” of the interiors of 67 older jets.
Upgrade work on the first of 27 Airbus A320neo aircraft (VT-EXN) has already started. Post-enhancement it will feature 164 seats.
In June this year, Air India disclosed the configuration for its retrofitted A320neos, which will for the first time include a premium-economy product. The airline has tapped Collins Aerospace for the new seats.
Air India says it expects the first retrofitted aircraft to enter service in December 2024. VT-EXN, which was delivered to the airline in December 2019, will join eight newly delivered A320neos that already feature the latest interior.
The A320neo retrofit is expected to wrap up by mid-2025, as the airline inducts three to four aircraft per month to the upgrade programme.
