Air India has commenced the first major cabin and systems upgrade of its Boeing 787-8 fleet, with the inaugural aircraft, VT-ANT, departing Mumbai for Boeing’s Victorville facility in July 2025. A second aircraft will follow in October, with both set to return to service in December.
The US$400 million programme covers all 26 B787-8s, with completion targeted for mid-2027. Each aircraft will receive new business, premium economy, and economy cabins featuring redesigned seating, next-generation inflight entertainment, refreshed galleys and lavatories, and updated soft furnishings in line with Air India’s new design language.
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In parallel, the carrier is implementing a Reliability Enhancement Programme for the B787 fleet, including avionics upgrades and critical component replacements to improve technical performance. Seven aircraft will undergo heavy D-checks in Victorville during the retrofit process.
The widebody initiative follows rapid progress on Air India’s narrowbody cabin upgrade for 27 legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft. Since September 2024, 16 aircraft have been retrofitted, the latest returning to service on 9 August. The remaining 11 are scheduled for completion by September 2025, supported by a third retrofit line at GMR’s Hyderabad MRO.
