DELHI- Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) has completed the retrofit of its 27 legacy A320neo aircraft, marking a major step in the airline’s $400 million fleet modernization initiative. The final aircraft has returned to service with fully redesigned interiors and the carrier’s refreshed livery.
With the retrofit complete and new deliveries added, Air India now operates 104 A320 Family aircraft with upgraded cabins, supporting 3,024 weekly flights across 82 domestic and short-haul international routes from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).
Air India Upgraded A320 Fleet
The retrofit programme, launched in September 2024 and completed within a year, covered 27 A320neo aircraft that have now been equipped with a consistent three-class cabin layout—Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.
The transformation added over 4,000 new seats, including 216 in Business, 648 in Premium Economy, and 3,564 in Economy.
Each aircraft received significant material upgrades: over 450 meters of premium leather, 15,000 meters of fabric, and 5,000 square meters of carpet to enhance cabin comfort and aesthetics.
Additionally, more than 8,000 kilograms of paint were used to apply Air India’s new livery across the retrofitted fleet.
Comfort, Connectivity, and Consistency
All seats now include USB-A and USB-C ports, allowing passengers to charge their devices and access Air India’s in-flight entertainment streaming service, Vista Stream. The platform offers around 900 hours of films, shows, and other content, viewable on personal devices.
The updated interiors bring a uniform design across the A320 fleet, aligning Air India’s narrowbody experience with international standards.
The upgrades have contributed to strong passenger satisfaction, with Air India maintaining a Net Promoter Score (NPS) between 45 and 50 points on its narrowbody operations.
Where does AI fly its A320s?
The modernized fleet now supports 3,024 weekly flights across India’s busiest domestic routes—such as Delhi–Mumbai, Delhi–Bengaluru, and Mumbai–Chennai—as well as short-haul international services.
These include destinations like Bangkok (BKK), Phuket (HKT), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malé (MLE), Riyadh (RUH), and Singapore (SIN).
Air India’s CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, noted that the retrofit marks the completion of the first phase of the airline’s narrowbody transformation.
The focus now shifts to further enhancing passenger comfort and ensuring product consistency across the entire fleet.
Other Aircraft in Progress
Starting in 2026, Air India will retrofit 13 legacy A321 aircraft, sequencing the upgrades and new livery applications alongside the integration of the former Vistara fleet.
The airline has also launched the retrofit of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, with the first aircraft (VT-ANT) sent to Boeing’s facility in Victorville, California (VCV) in July 2025.
The programme covers 26 aircraft and is scheduled for completion by mid-2027. These aircraft will feature fully redesigned cabins with a three-class layout—Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.
In early 2027, Air India plans to begin retrofitting 13 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, targeting completion by October 2028.
The project timeline has been adjusted to account for ongoing supply chain challenges but remains a key part of the airline’s long-term modernization roadmap.
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