Archive · 12 Aug 2025
Air India's Retrofit Program Faces Further Delays, Sets New Timeline
Air India is updating its airplanes to make them nicer for passengers.
This includes new seats, entertainment systems, and more.
The whole process will take a long time, with the wide-body planes being finished by 2028.
The first plane is already being worked on in California and should be ready by December.
There have been many delays, with the airline missing several deadlines.
The airline is also working on smaller planes and expects those to be done soon.
The company, owned by Tata group, has announced multiple timelines, often missing the mark due to supply chain problems.
Air India's wide-body plane retrofit program is now expected to be completed by October 2028.
The first Boeing 787 is in Victorville, California for retrofitting, expected to return in December.
The 787s are being converted to a three-class configuration, adding premium economy.
The airline has faced multiple delays and missed deadlines for the retrofit program.
The narrowbody retrofit program for A320neo aircraft is expected to be completed by September this year.
- Who
- Air India, owned by the Tata group.
- What
- Air India is retrofitting its wide-body and narrow-body aircraft.
- When
- Wide-body program completion is now set for October 2028; narrowbody program by September this year.
- Where
- Retrofitting is taking place in Victorville, California, and at MRO facilities in Hyderabad, Hosur, and Nagpur.
- Why
- To improve the customer experience and modernize its fleet.
Company Perspective
Customer Perspective
Timeline Reliability
Company Perspective
Air India is working towards improving its services and aircraft.
Customer Perspective
The program is facing consistent delays and missed deadlines.
- Retrofit Completion Date
- October 2028 (wide-body)
- First Aircraft in Retrofit
- Boeing 787
- New Class Configuration
- Addition of Premium Economy
- Narrowbody Completion
- September this year
- Owner
- Tata Group
- Legacy 777 refit
- 13 planes