Air India's Fleet Modernization Initiative

In a bold move to enhance the reliability and safety of its aging aircraft fleet, Air India has announced a partnership with Singapore Airlines. This collaboration aims to adopt global best practices in engineering, operations, and reliability improvements. The initiative comes in the wake of heightened regulatory scrutiny following the tragic crash of a Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad on June 12.

Retrofitting the Legacy Fleet

Air India has embarked on an ambitious program to retrofit its wide-body fleet, starting with the first legacy Boeing 787-8 sent to the US for upgrades last month. The airline plans to complete the retrofitting of all 26 legacy 787-8s by June 2027 and upgrade its 27 older A320 neo aircraft by September 2025. Additionally, plans to retrofit 13 legacy A321ceo aircraft, previously slated for retirement, have been revived.

Enhancing Passenger Experience

The refurbished Dreamliners will feature a new three-class configuration, including Business, Premium Economy, and Economy seats, replacing the current two-class layout. This upgrade is part of Air India's $400 million comprehensive retrofit program announced in December 2022, aimed at improving both narrow-body and wide-body legacy fleets.

Overcoming Operational Challenges

CEO Campbell Wilson addressed the operational challenges triggered by the Ahmedabad crash, emphasizing efforts to resolve supply chain and spare part bottlenecks with OEMs. Despite initial disruptions, Air India's Net Promoter Score (NPS) has shown a significant recovery, indicating improved customer satisfaction.