Air India Unveils First Refurbished B787-8 with New Cabins and Livery

The aircraft, which received comprehensive interior upgrades at Boeing's Modification Center in Victorville, California, was subsequently painted in Air India's striking new livery at AeroPro, an FAA Part-145 certified aircraft paint facility in San Bernardino, California.

As part of the retrofit, the aircraft interiors were completely reconfigured, transforming it from a two-class layout previously to a modern three-class configuration now with the installation of brand-new seats and an inflight entertainment (IFE) system, and bringing the aircraft in line with Air India's latest widebody product standards, as seen on its new bespoke Boeing 787-9 inducted in January 2026.

The first B787 took close to 12,825 manhours over 45 days for the retrofit as teams progressed through a tightly choreographed workflow - from stripping out the legacy interiors to reconfiguring the cabins, installing new seats, carpets, and wall laminates, overhauling galleys and lavatories, and rigorously testing the new seating and cabin components.

According to the release, refurbishing the first aircraft required a total of 475 metres of fabric for new seats across cabins, 167 metres of synthetic leather, 169 metres of carpet, and 646 litres of paint. The aircraft exterior received a complete makeover as well, with a 20-member specialist team dedicating over 5,700 hours over 18 days to strip the old livery and meticulously apply the new Air India colours.

The cabins feature customised versions of the Elevate Ascent seat in Business Class and RECARO PL3530 and CL3710 seats in Premium Economy and Economy Class, respectively. All seats are equipped with Thales' state-of-the-art AVANT Up in-flight entertainment (IFE) system.

Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said, "This is yet another proud milestone in our transformation journey as we welcome this transformed legacy B787 aircraft as a shining beacon of the new Air India. The retrofit of our first widebody aircraft is a visible symbol of the momentum behind Air India's transformation. With 25 other 787s undergoing this comprehensive refresh, we are rapidly modernising the backbone of our long-haul fleet and raising the bar for customers flying between India and the world."

Air India will be retrofitting 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year, two of which are already undergoing the process, as part of a US$400 million investment to modernise the airline's legacy fleet. The B787 retrofit programme has been jointly conceptualised and executed with Boeing, ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety in the aircraft and throughout the process.

Upon full completion of the B787 retrofit programme by 2027, Air India aims to significantly upgrade the onboard product and passenger experience on over 300 flights per week to destinations across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. Air India will subsequently retrofit 13 of its legacy B777-300ER aircraft.

- ANI