According to the latest news, the work will start in mid-2024 and take about two and a half years to complete – though travellers can expect to see the new logo and livery by December this year.
Air India is long overdue a revamp, especially considering its planes are known for sometimes appearing rundown with broken and filthy seats.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson – who was appointed summer 2022 – said at the Paris Air Show in June that the retrofit will be a “significant upgrade and will put us quite squarely in the upper echelon”.
However, he noted the design won’t be the “true New Year India” because the retrofit is being done in a short period of time.
“You’re not going to be able to apply the sort of bespoke touch that you would normally want to do if you had a lot of time,” he said.
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Based on a video of the new interior, the planes will have four cabins, including first, business, premium economy, and regular economy.
Air India is hanging onto first class despite many Western carriers like American Airlines ditching the premium cabin.Other airlines such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines also offer both business and first.
The design is extremely different from the airline’s current 777 offerings, including everything from the colour scheme to the amenities.
Instead of the mix of red and yellow seats, the seats will match with bold reds, beiges, and greys.
First class will be in a one-by-two-by-one layout with direct-aisle access for all passengers.
The refreshed look comes as passengers at the front of the plane have higher standards of expectations.
However, Wilson said that the retrofitted first class won’t be as good as it could be due to the short two-year time frame, saying “designing a new first-class seat is about a five- to six-year process”.
The video shows the regular bells and whistles of first class, including lie-flat beds and full privacy.
The privacy doors and centre dividers are a major upgrade compared to the current product.
Passengers will also find other amenities like a lamp, a large in-flight entertainment screen, and wireless charging.
Passengers can expect premium meals and Wi-fi as well, the latter being available in all cabin sections.
Moving through the cabin, passengers will find business class, which targets both corporate and leisure travellers.
Business class is the standard premium cabin on many international airlines, with US airlines adding improvements to business rather than incorporating a first-class section.
Similar to other airlines, the seat will feature a lie-flat bed, a television, wireless charging, space, and storage.
The tray table stores under the TV and slides out for work or dining.
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However, it will also feature a fully-closed privacy door – which is more than competing carriers like Singapore Airlines offers in business. Air India’s new brand identity includes gutting its current widebody cabins and introducing a new design.
The privacy door is becoming more popular as airlines improve their products like the Delta One Suite introduced in 2016 or All Nippon Airways’ hotel-style business class dubbed “The Room.”
Singapore’s business class, however, does not have the same privacy offering.
While old Air India widebody aircraft went straight from business to regular coach, the company is now introducing a new premium economy section.
This follows the trend of airlines adding premium economy to their planes, like Emirates, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines, which are capitalising on the demand for something between high-dollar business class and coach.
Air India’s premium economy resembles that of other carriers. The large recliner comes with a TV, legrest, headrest, and footrest.
The adjustable seats help people sleep, though it still does not have the lie-flat perks of business and first class, nor does the seat look as plush or thick as competing premium economy cabins like Singapore’s.
The two by four by two configuration, however, means some people will still be stuck in the middle seat.
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The same is seen on other carriers including Singapore and Emirates, so it’s not something travellers can always avoid by upgrading to premium economy.
The three by four by three layout means the Boeing 777s will have 10 seats across each row instead of the current three by three by three.
The modernisations come after the full-circle takeover of Air India by private entity Tata Sons, the original founders of Air India back in the 1930s.
Tata started the business as Tata Air Mail in 1932 before the airline became Air India in the 1940s.
The family bought the failing business in October 2021 to restore Air India to its golden days of onboard lounges and champagne.Air India used to be celebrated for its luxurious cabins, but financial struggles caused it to fall behind and earn a less-than-stellar reputation.
The upgrade will solve the problem of broken tray tables and dirty upholstery that guests sometimes see on board Air India flights today.
For example, in October 2022, Asia International News editor Smita Prakash’s tweeted pictures of her cousin’s transpacific economy flight on Air India that showed a broken TV, busted tables, and filthy floors.
According to Prakash, the cousin was actually supposed to be in business class but was downgraded because 11 business seats were broken.
Though the project will still take years to complete. In the meantime, Air India is leasing widebody jets to improve capacity and its product.
Air India leases jets from airlines like Delta, Singapore, and Etihad, which means its premium products come with fancy interiors.
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“It’s these aircraft that we’re leasing and buying to allow us to now offer nonstop service from India to points that people want to fly,” Wilson said.
According to the carrier, 33 per cent of Air India’s widebody fleet will be upgraded by March 2024, and its “entire long-haul fleet will be reborn”.
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