Archive · 2 Aug 2026
Air India taps Shanghai MRO to fast-track Boeing 787 upgrades
Air India is speeding up the makeover of its 26 Boeing 787 planes.
They added a repair shop in Shanghai, China, to work on the planes while they also use a shop in Victorville, USA.
The first plane, VT-ANZ, went to Shanghai for its makeover.
The airline wants to finish all 26 planes by the end of 2027.
They plan to have about 10 to 12 planes ready by April 2027.
The work takes about a month, but can take longer if the plane needs extra maintenance.
Air India is using its smaller flight schedule to get the planes fixed faster.
Air India is adding a Shanghai MRO facility to its Boeing 787-8 retrofit program to speed up upgrades.
The airline operates 26 Boeing 787-8s, with three already refurbished with new livery and cabin.
The first aircraft, VT-ANZ, was sent to Shanghai; the next, VT-ANR, will be retrofitted in Victorville, US.
Two retrofit lines are now operational, aiming to upgrade 10-12 aircraft by April 2027.
The program seeks to complete all 26 upgrades by end of 2027, using reduced network operations to accelerate.
- Who
- Air India, a Tata Group-owned airline
- What
- Retrofit of its Boeing 787-8 fleet using a Shanghai MRO facility
- When
- Program to finish by the end of 2027, with 10-12 aircraft upgraded by April 2027
- Where
- Shanghai, China and Victorville, USA
- Why
- To accelerate upgrades and complete all 26 aircraft by 2027
- Airline
- Air India
- Fleet size
- 26 Boeing 787-8
- Retrofit locations
- Shanghai, China and Victorville, USA
- Target completion
- End of 2027
- First aircraft sent
- VT-ANZ