First retrofitted A320 jet of Air India’s $400-million makeover plan ready; wide-body aircraft refit to take off in April

Cabin refit and upgradation is part of Air India’s product transformation plan. Over the years, Air India had developed a reputation of having run-down aircraft cabins and an ageing fleet as the then government-owned airline was under severe financial stress. The Tata group acquired Air India from the government in early 2022. While the new owners have inducted various new aircraft and placed massive orders for planes to be delivered over the coming years, the poor health of legacy aircraft was a major concern for the airline which now harbours global ambitions and wants to offer a world-class product to flyers.

“VT-EXN is the first of the 27 narrowbody aircraft inherited at the time of takeover that was elected for a complete retrofit to the new Air India standard, with new seats, carpets, curtain, cabin ambience, a three-class cabin configuration, along with a fresh coat of paint, new livery—all in the new Air India branding,” Air India said Monday.

“VT-EXN and the remaining 26 A320neos will be operating on the domestic and short-haul international (routes), alongside the 14 new A320neos that have been welcomed into the fleet recently, offer modern amenities in three class cabin configuration—ensuring a uniform upgraded experience of passengers,” the airline said.

All the refitted narrow-body aircraft will feature eight new business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 132 economy seats. Once the retrofit of the 27 A320 jets is completed, Air India’s entire narrow-body fleet will have a three-class cabin configuration, the new standard for the airline as against its conventional two-class cabin.

The retrofit includes soothing interior ambience, spacious legroom, and wider seat pitch, along with modern features such as portable electronic device holders and USB ports, the airline said, adding that new carpets, curtains, upholstery, and cabin panels with fresh design motifs are being installed. The refit project is being coordinated by Air India’s engineering team with leading global original equipment manufacturers like Collins, Astronics, and Thales, among others.