Air India Boeing 777 Aircraft Gets Fresh New Look With Complete Refurbishment; Rejoins Fleet

After complete refurbishment, Air India received the first of its legacy Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft on Wednesday. Officials estimate that the remaining 12 aircraft will be fully refurbished by the end of the year.

The airline made the decision to fully renew these aircraft because supply chain problems have delayed the refit of the older B777 aircraft, which was supposed to begin last year. New carpets, seat coverings, cushions, and replacing damaged seats are all part of a major aircraft renovation.

What is Included in the Air India Craft Refurbishment?

Tata Group owned Air India operates 40 vintage wide-body aircraft, including 27 B787s and 13 B777s. The B777-300 ER's major refurbishment took about 50 days to finish in Singapore. By the end of this year, the officials believe that all of the legacy B777s will have undergone a thorough refurbishment. The upgraded aircraft will be used for ultra-long operations after being in service for one or two days on the domestic route.

The B777s are mostly used for extremely long-haul flights that connect San Francisco, Chicago, Newark, and New York (US) with Toronto and Vancouver (Canada). Flights lasting more than 14 hours are considered ultra-long distance flights.

Of 198 aircraft, 13 are legacy Air India Boeing 777-300 ERs. First-class cabins are available on several of these vintage aircraft. Twenty-seven legacy B787-8s, seven B787-9s, six A350-600s, eight B777-200 LRs (including five leased from Delta Air Lines), and nineteen B777-300 ERs (including six leased from Etihad Airways) comprise the majority of the fleet's total of 67 wide-body aircraft.

Fleet Expansion: A Sneak Peek into Air India's Future Plans:

In April this year, the first legacy B787 will depart for refurbishment. The airline also operates 94 A320 neos, 4 A320 ceos, 6 A319s, 14 A321 neos, and 13 A321 ceos.

In March, Air India's Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson said that the airline will complete the refurbishment of all of its vintage wide-body aircraft by the middle of 2027. The first modified A320 Neo aircraft is already back in service as part of the $400 million narrow-body and wide-body aircraft upgrade program. By the third quarter of this year, the airline anticipates having all 27 of its A320 Neo aircraft renovated.

What is Affecting the Refurbishment?

Air India MD Wilson reportedly stated that there were supply constraints everywhere, including the lack of engines for some narrow-body aircraft, problems with seat suppliers, and the availability of fuselage parts and components. He said, "Reality is that it is going to remain a supply-constrained market, not just for Air India, India, (I am) talking about worldwide... for another 4-5 years."

"We are victims of the circumstances as is every other airline, " MD Wilson said in reference to the supply chain problems.

Each component of Air India's operations will be transformed as part of the planned change, which includes improvements to people, infrastructure, systems, procedures, and equipment.

Air India After Acquired By Tata Group:

The Tata Group acquired Air India on January 27, 2022, through its subsidiary Talace Private Limited. Following its acquisition, the airline is currently pursuing a turnaround. CEO Wilson pointed out that even though the carrier has made great strides since being private, much more work remains.