# Air India Boeing 787 & 777 Cabin Retrofits Begin, With New Premium Economy and Business Class

_Apr 12 18:38_

Tags: Air India, Delhi, London, Mumbai, loyalty program, policy change, airline, program change

Air India is retrofitting its Boeing 787-8 and 777-300ER fleets with new cabins, including a new premium economy product. The first reconfigured 787-8 enters service on the Delhi-London route in May 2026

## Summary

Air India is accelerating the retrofit of its legacy wide-body fleet, specifically the Boeing 787-8 and 777-300ER aircraft, as part of a $400+ million investment. The project introduces a new premium economy cabin across the long-haul fleet and refreshes business class. Key details:
- **787-8 Retrofit**: The first reconfigured 787-8 (registration VT-ANT) is expected to enter service on the Delhi (DEL) to London (LHR) route on May 1, 2026. A second aircraft (VT-ANP) will join shortly after, followed by a third (VT-ANC). The route will expand to Mumbai (BOM) on June 30, 2026. All 26 legacy 787-8s will be reconfigured by July 2027. The new configuration features 250 seats: 20 business, 25 premium economy, and 205 economy.
- **777-300ER Retrofit**: The first 777-300ER is expected to be reconfigured in early 2027, with all 13 aircraft completed by October 2028. These aircraft will receive an interim soft refresh (seat covers, carpets) in the meantime.
- **Scope**: The retrofit covers all legacy Air India 787-8s and 777-300ERs. Legacy Vistara 787-9s are not included in this specific interior refresh plan.
- **Context**: Delays due to supply chain issues have pushed the original late-2026 completion target to late 2028

## Why it matters

Affects 3 airline programs (Air India, Delta Air Lines, Etihad).

## Sources cited

- [One Mile at a Time](https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-india-boeing-777-787-cabin-retrofit) — Air India Boeing 777 & 787 Cabin Retrofits Underway, Finally

## Related signals

- [IHG pays 3X Air India miles and up to 3X points to Dec 31, 2026](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/ihg-offers-triple-air-india-miles-on-stays-september-15december-31-2026.md)

Older: [Virgin Atlantic Accelerates Free Starlink Wi-Fi Rollout, Fleetwide by 2027](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/virgin-atlantic-accelerates-starlink-wi-fi-rollout-free-for-flying-club-members.md)
Newer: [ALL Accor+ Signature 3rd Anniversary Offer: 15% Off Yearly Subscriptions April 13 – 17, 2026](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/all-accor-signature-15-off-yearly-subscriptions-april-1317-2026.md)

Canonical URL: https://thetravelsignal.com/s/air-india-boeing-787-777-cabin-retrofits-begin-new-premium-economy-and-business