Air India Speeds Up Boeing Retrofit Programme Amid Increased Demand

Air India is accelerating the retrofit of its Boeing 787-8 fleet by using two maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities. The airline has sent three retrofitted aircraft so far and aims to complete upgrades on all 26 planes by April 2027. With a standard retrofit taking around 30 days, Air India expects to have 10-12 upgraded Dreamliners in service by the end of next year.

The airline is using its reduced network operations to speed up the programme. The addition of Boeing's Shanghai MRO facility will help Air India upgrade aircraft faster and meet its target. Industry sources say the airline may evaluate additional retrofit facilities globally depending on slot availability.

So far, three retrofitted Boeing 787-8 aircraft have been delivered to the airline with new liveries, redesigned cabins, and other interior upgrades. The most recently upgraded plane, VT-NAC, was out of service for over 90 days due to heavy maintenance checks coinciding with cabin refurbishment.