Why it matters
Affects 3 airline programs (Air India, Delta Air Lines, Etihad).
What happened
Air India is accelerating the retrofitting of its legacy wide-body fleet, specifically the Boeing 787-8 and 777-300ER aircraft, as part of a $400+ million investment. The project aims to introduce a new premium economy product and refresh business class cabins. The first reconfigured Boeing 787-8 (registration VT-ANT) is expected to enter service on the Delhi (DEL) to London (LHR) route starting May 1, 2026, with additional aircraft following shortly. The new 787-8 configuration features 250 seats: 20 business class, 25 premium economy, and 205 economy seats. All 26 legacy 787-8s are scheduled to be reconfigured by July 2027. The Boeing 777-300ER retrofit is slated to begin in early 2027, with all 13 aircraft expected to be completed by October 2028. In the interim, 777s are receiving a soft refresh with new seat covers and cabin finishes. The first class cabin will be retained on the 777s, while the 787s will not have first class
Sources cited · 1
We don't republish article bodies. Read each source for full context.