Air India unveiled the cabin interiors and livery of its first retrofitted B787-8 aircraft on Sunday, which received interior upgrades at Boeing’s Modification Center in Victorville, California, and was subsequently painted in Air India’s new livery at AeroPro.
After procuring mandatory certifications and approvals, the aircraft arrived at the Delhi Airport on April 13, 2026 with revamped interiors and a three-class configuration. Under its $400 million plan to modernise the legacy fleet, the Tata Group-owned carrier got the aircraft retrofitted in line with its latest widebody product standards, as seen on its new Boeing 787-9 inducted in January this year.
The first Boeing 787 took close to 12,825 manhours across over 45 days for the retrofit programme, as teams progressed through a tight workflow, the airline said in a release. The tedious task of revamping an aircraft from nose to tail involves stripping out the legacy interiors to reconfiguring the cabins, installing new seats, carpets, wall laminates, overhauling galleys, lavatories, and rigorously testing the new seating and cabin components.
As per official information, refurbishing the first aircraft required 475 metres of fabric for new seats across cabins, 167 metres of synthetic leather, 169 metres of carpet and 646 litres of paint. A 20-member specialist team dedicated over 5,700 hours over 18 days to revamp the aircraft exterior.
The newly arrived B787-8 features 20 private suites in Business Class, 25 Premium Economy seats and 205 Economy Class seats.
The revamped cabins feature customised versions of the Elevate Ascent seat in Business Class and RECARO PL3530 and CL3710 seats in Premium Economy and Economy Class, respectively.
"This is a yet another proud milestone in our transformation journey as we welcome this transformed legacy B787 aircraft as a shining beacon of the new Air India," said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India.
"The retrofit of our first widebody aircraft is a visible symbol of the momentum behind Air India’s transformation. With 25 other 787s undergoing this comprehensive refresh, we are rapidly modernising the backbone of our long‑haul fleet and raising the bar for customers flying between India and the world," said Wilson, who announced his resignation earlier this month.
The Tata-owned carrier will retrofit 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year, two of which are already undergoing the process, as part of a US$400 million investment to modernise the airline’s legacy fleet. The B787 retrofit programme has been jointly conceptualised and executed with Boeing, ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety in the aircraft and throughout the process.
Air India will be retrofitting 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year, two of which are already undergoing the process. The aircraft revamping programme has been jointly conceptualised and executed with aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The airline expects the B787 retrofit program to be completed by 2027, which would upgrade the onboard product and passenger experience on over 300 flights per week to destinations across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia.
Further, Air India will also retrofit 13 of its legacy B777-300ER aircraft.
After procuring mandatory certifications and approvals, the aircraft arrived at the Delhi Airport on April 13, 2026 with revamped interiors and a three-class configuration. Under its $400 million plan to modernise the legacy fleet, the Tata Group-owned carrier got the aircraft retrofitted in line with its latest widebody product standards, as seen on its new Boeing 787-9 inducted in January this year.
The first Boeing 787 took close to 12,825 manhours across over 45 days for the retrofit programme, as teams progressed through a tight workflow, the airline said in a release. The tedious task of revamping an aircraft from nose to tail involves stripping out the legacy interiors to reconfiguring the cabins, installing new seats, carpets, wall laminates, overhauling galleys, lavatories, and rigorously testing the new seating and cabin components.
As per official information, refurbishing the first aircraft required 475 metres of fabric for new seats across cabins, 167 metres of synthetic leather, 169 metres of carpet and 646 litres of paint. A 20-member specialist team dedicated over 5,700 hours over 18 days to revamp the aircraft exterior.
The newly arrived B787-8 features 20 private suites in Business Class, 25 Premium Economy seats and 205 Economy Class seats.
The revamped cabins feature customised versions of the Elevate Ascent seat in Business Class and RECARO PL3530 and CL3710 seats in Premium Economy and Economy Class, respectively.
"This is a yet another proud milestone in our transformation journey as we welcome this transformed legacy B787 aircraft as a shining beacon of the new Air India," said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India.
"The retrofit of our first widebody aircraft is a visible symbol of the momentum behind Air India’s transformation. With 25 other 787s undergoing this comprehensive refresh, we are rapidly modernising the backbone of our long‑haul fleet and raising the bar for customers flying between India and the world," said Wilson, who announced his resignation earlier this month.
The Tata-owned carrier will retrofit 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year, two of which are already undergoing the process, as part of a US$400 million investment to modernise the airline’s legacy fleet. The B787 retrofit programme has been jointly conceptualised and executed with Boeing, ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety in the aircraft and throughout the process.
Air India will be retrofitting 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year, two of which are already undergoing the process. The aircraft revamping programme has been jointly conceptualised and executed with aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The airline expects the B787 retrofit program to be completed by 2027, which would upgrade the onboard product and passenger experience on over 300 flights per week to destinations across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia.
Further, Air India will also retrofit 13 of its legacy B777-300ER aircraft.
