Air India to invest over USD 400 million on wide-body aircraft refurbishment

Mumbai, December 8

Tata group-owned full service carrier Air India on Thursday said it plans to refurbish its legacy wide-body fleet, comprising 40 Boeing planes, at an investment of over USD 400 million (about Rs 3,295 crore).

The company has mandated London-based product design companies JPA Design and Trendworks to assist with the cabin interior design elements of the refurbishment exercise, the airline said in a statement.

Of the 40 planes which are set to go for refurbishment, 27 are Boeing 787-800s and 13 Boeing 777s.

All these planes were acquired when the airline was under state ownership. The Tata Group regained control of Air India in January this year.

The first such refurbished aircraft is expected to be in service by mid-2024, as per the release.

With this significant investment, Air India said it is committed to providing its passengers with a comfortable, modern, and technologically advanced cabin.

In September, the airline announced a transformation plan, focusing on growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance.

It also aims at taking a leadership position in technology, sustainability, and innovation, as well as aggressively investing in the best industry talent.

Air India said as part of the refurbishment exercise, it will carry out a complete overhaul of existing cabin interiors, including the addition of latest generation seats and best in-class inflight entertainment across all classes.

In addition, the refurbishment will see the introduction of premium economy cabins on both fleets, it said, adding that first class cabins will also be retained on the Boeing 777 planes.

“We are working closely with partners to accelerate the refit process as fast as possible and, in the meantime, leasing in at least 11 new widebody aircraft with brand new interiors to improve our offering at the earliest opportunity,” Air India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said.

After announcing it will lease 30 planes, including five Boeing 777 in September this year, the airline earlier this week disclosed its plans to add on lease six more Boeing 777s in its fleet.

“The complete interior refurbishment entails significant regulatory and engineering preparation, which commenced earlier this year. This lengthy but necessary process, and the time required to manufacture seats, is expected to lead to the first aircraft entering service in mid-2024,” it said.