Final weekend, Air India marked one other milestone in its ongoing transformation as the primary totally retrofitted Boeing 787-8 plane took flight from San Bernardino, California certain for Delhi.
The Prince of Journey workforce was live-on-location for a primary take a look at the aircraft, which included a full nose-to-tail makeover of VT-ANT’s inside and exterior.
Here is what we all know concerning the particular plane, what the retrofit entails, and what it means for the broader transformation that Air India is working by way of.
Air India Debuts First Retrofitted 787-8 Plane
VT-ANT is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was initially delivered to Air India in February 2015, again when the airline was nonetheless owned and operated by the Authorities of India. The Tata Group acquired the airline in January 2022, and since then, Air India has been working underneath personal possession with a essentially totally different imaginative and prescient for the place the airline is headed.
The problem is that the cabin merchandise on Air India’s legacy widebody fleet, which is comprised of 26 Boeing 787-8s and 13 Boeing 777s, had fallen nicely in need of the usual {that a} globally aggressive airline wants to supply.
In December 2022, Air India introduced a $400 million (USD) funding to utterly retrofit all of those plane, together with the set up of latest latest-generation seats, fashionable inflight leisure programs, new carpets, curtains, and wall laminates throughout all cabins.
The present retrofit transforms the 787-8 from a two-class format into a contemporary three-class configuration.
Enterprise class options 20 personal suites in a 1-2-1 format, that includes the Elevate Ascent seat, the identical product Air India debuted on its factory-built 787-9 plane earlier this yr.
Every suite gives direct aisle entry, sliding privateness doorways, 42 inches of pitch, a completely flat 79-inch mattress, a 17-inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreen, a number of charging choices (together with wi-fi charging), and a jaali-inspired characteristic lamp.
In the midst of the aircraft, the brand new premium economic system cabin options 25 seats in a 2-3-2 format, with 38-inch pitch, 7-inch recline, a 6-way adjustable headrest, calf and leg relaxation, 13.3-inch 4K screens, and fast-charging ports.
Lastly, the economic system cabin is comprised of 205 ergonomically optimized seats in a 3-3-3 format, with 31/32-inch pitch, 5-inch recline, 11.6-inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreens, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports.
The cabin interiors have been designed by JPA Design in collaboration with TrendWorks, and the general aesthetic is a big step up from the legacy product. Past the seats, the retrofit contains overhauled galleys and bathrooms, new overhead bin panels, and a brand new cabin service system.
The plane exterior additionally acquired a whole makeover, with a 20-member specialist workforce dedicating 1000’s of hours over 18 days to strip the outdated livery and apply Air India’s putting new colors.
Air India Is Reworking
The retrofit program was initially meant to start in 2023, and it has confronted important delays, largely on account of post-COVID provide chain disruptions that slowed seat deliveries from suppliers. In reality, one provider walked away from a contract totally, inflicting a two-year delay in a single retrofit stream.
This particular plane was ferried to Boeing’s Modification Middle in Victorville, California in July 2025, and was initially scheduled to return to service in December 2025.
That did not occur, on account of prolonged regulatory certification work required as a result of VT-ANT is the prototype for the 787-8 retrofit configuration, which pushed the timeline additional.
The excellent news is that now that this certification is full, the identical accredited design may be utilized to the remaining 25 Boeing 787-8s with out repeating the complete certification cycle. Air India is concentrating on completion of all 787-8 retrofits by 2027, which suggests a fast succession of plane coming into the modification pipeline from right here.
From a sensible perspective, here is what this implies for travellers, and notably for Canadians.
The retrofitted 787-8s will primarily serve routes to Europe, Asia, and Australia. These are routes the place Air India’s legacy cabin merchandise have been a tough promote for anybody accustomed to the usual set by opponents, particularly Gulf-based carriers.
The brand new three-class product with the Elevate Ascent enterprise class suite brings Air India a lot nearer to parity with competing carriers. I had the prospect to check out Air India’s fashionable smooth product on the A350 from Delhi to New York final yr, and it was wonderful.
For the Delhi–Toronto route particularly, Air India has introduced that it’ll deploy its new factory-built Boeing 787-9 – which options 30 enterprise class suites in the identical Elevate Ascent configuration – beginning in August 2026.
Seven of the ten weekly flights between Delhi and Toronto will function with the 787-9, whereas the remaining three will proceed on the legacy Boeing 777-300ER.
It is a important improve, but it surely additionally means the legacy product is not disappearing from Canadian routes in a single day, so remember to verify the plane in your particular flight. If it is operated by a 787-9 and has a premium economic system cabin, you are in luck.
And that is the broader actuality of Air India’s transformation. Progress is actual, but it surely’s taking place on an industrial timeline, not a consumer-facing one.
The airline is concurrently inducting new A350-900s with a wonderful enterprise class product, constructing a brand new flagship lounge in Delhi, and now working by way of the wide-body retrofit program.
Once you zoom out and take a look at the place Air India was three years in the past versus the place it is headed, the trajectory is spectacular. However should you’re reserving a flight subsequent month, do not assume you will get the brand new product.
It is price noting that Air India flights stay bookable by way of Aeroplan as a Star Alliance accomplice, with fastened accomplice pricing and no gas surcharges. For the Toronto–Delhi route, the gap of roughly 7,500 miles locations it within the 6,001–8,000-mile band on Aeroplan‘s North America to Atlantic chart – that is 55,000 Aeroplan factors in economic system or 90,000 in enterprise class, a method.
Given the trajectory of the fleet refresh, the recommendation right here is simple: if in case you have Air India journey deliberate, verify the plane kind in your particular flight. If you happen to can snag a flight on the brand new 787-9 or a retrofitted 787-8, or the A350-900, you are taking a look at a dramatically higher expertise than the legacy product.
And with respectable award availability on Air India by way of Aeroplan at fastened accomplice charges, it is a route hall price watching as the brand new product rolls out throughout the fleet. If you happen to’re departing from Delhi, remember to try the brand-new flagship Maharaja Lounge, which for all intents and functions seems wonderful.
Conclusion
Air India’s first accomplished 787-8 retrofit is a significant milestone, not as a result of it occurred as shortly as everybody needed, however as a result of it unlocks the trail for the remaining 25 plane to observe in fast succession.
The Elevate Ascent enterprise class suite is a aggressive product (with a barely tight footwell and cupboard space that is a bit restricted), the brand new premium economic system fills a niche that the legacy fleet did not tackle, and the general cabin high quality is now in keeping with what you’d anticipate from a provider competing on worldwide long-haul routes.
The transformation is actual, it is simply not going to occur in a single day. If you happen to’re planning Air India journey within the close to time period, do your homework on the plane – and should you can, maintain out for the brand new product. It is definitely worth the wait.
