Air India’s first upgraded wide-body aircraft lands in Delhi after retrofit work

Air India’s first refurbished wide-body Boeing 787-8 aircraft landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, marking a key step in the airline’s USD 400 million fleet upgrade programme announced more than three years ago.

The aircraft, registered VT-ANT, operated a non-stop ferry flight from San Bernardino in the United States, flying over the Pacific before landing in Delhi at 10 pm, the airline said. San Bernardino International Airport in California serves as a major hub for maintenance, painting and storage of Boeing aircraft.

Air India said it welcomed its first retrofitted twin-aisle B787-8 (VT-ANT), marking the completion of a nose-to-tail cabin refresh of the first aircraft in a planned upgrade of 26 Boeing 787 aircraft.

The airline’s legacy wide-body fleet comprises Boeing 787-8 and B777 aircraft, which operate on long-haul routes across the UK, Europe, the United States and the Far East.

According to the airline, the aircraft underwent comprehensive interior upgrades at Boeing’s modification centre in Victorville, California. It was later painted in Air India’s new livery at AeroPro, an FAA Part-145 certified aircraft paint facility in California.

After completing regulatory certifications and clearances, the aircraft flew non-stop from San Bernardino to Delhi, the airline said.

Air India, which returned to private ownership in January 2022 after the Tata Group reacquired it from the Union Government, had announced in December 2022 plans to refurbish its legacy wide-body fleet. The programme covers 27 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner) and 13 B777 aircraft, with an investment of over USD 400 million.

The refurbishment includes a complete overhaul of cabin interiors, with the addition of latest-generation seats and upgraded in-flight entertainment systems across all classes. It also introduces a premium economy cabin on both fleets.

The first refurbished aircraft was scheduled to enter service earlier, but supply chain disruptions and geopolitical factors delayed the start of the programme. The project commenced in July last year when the first of the 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft was sent to the Victorville facility for retrofit.

Air India’s Boeing 787-8 fleet currently stands at 26 aircraft after one plane was lost in a crash in Ahmedabad in June last year.

(With inputs from agencies)