Air India Sends Legacy Dreamliners for Retrofit at Shanghai Facility

Air India has started sending its legacy B787-8 aircraft for retrofit at Boeing's facility in Shanghai as part of its wide-body fleet revamp programme. Typically, these planes are sent to Boeing's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Victorville, US.

According to officials, one Boeing 787-8 plane has already been dispatched to the Shanghai facility. This move is expected to expedite the retrofitting process for the airline's wide-body fleet.

Air India operates a total of 185 planes, including 60 wide-bodies comprising B787s, B777s, and A350s. Out of these, 26 are legacy Dreamliners (B787-8), three have completed retrofitting, and two are currently undergoing the process in Victorville and Shanghai.

The airline's CEO-designate Tewolde Gebremariam has been meeting with senior executives to discuss the fleet revamp programme. Air India plans to induct over 100 new planes in the next two years, including three more wide-body planes expected to join the fleet this year - one B787-9 and two A350-1000s.