Air India has completed the first retrofitted cabin interior in its programme to fully refurbish the cabins of 26 Boeing 787s in its fleet. The first B787-8 (registered VT-ANT) has been converted from a two-class to a three-class cabin configuration, bringing it in line with Air India’s latest widebody product standard, as seen on the airline’s newest Boeing 787-9, inducted in January 2026.
The cabin retrofit interior upgrades were carried out at Boeing’s Modification Center in Victorville, California, with VT-ANT requiring approximately 12,825 man-hours of work over 45 days, covering the removal of legacy interiors, reconfiguration of the cabins, installation of new seats, carpets, and wall laminates, an overhaul of the galleys and lavatories, and installation of Thales Avant Up IFE systems throughout.
According to Air India the materials used included 475m of fabric for the new seats, 167m of synthetic leather, and 169m of carpet.
The reconfigured B787-9 cabin now accommodates 20 business-class suites in a 1-2-1 layout, 25 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 layout, and 205 economy class seats in a 3-3-3 layout.
Each of the 20 business-class suites (the Ascent seat from Elevate Aircraft Seating) features sliding privacy doors, direct aisle access, a 42in (107cm) pitch, a fully flat 79 in (201 cm) bed, a 17 in (43cm) 4K QLED HDR touchscreen IFE display, multiple device charging options, a vanity mirror, and a jaali-inspired feature lamp.
The seats in premium economy (the Recaro PL3530) have a 38 in (97 cm) pitch, a 7in (18 cm) recline, a six-way headrest, a calf and leg rest, and 13.3 in (34 cm) 4K QLED HDR seatback IFE screens with Type-A and Type-C fast-charging ports.
The economy-class seats (Recaro CL3710) are configured at a 31/32 in (79/81 cm) pitch with 5 in (13 cm) recline and 11.6 in (29 cm) 4K QLED HDR IFE touchscreens.
Air India plans to retrofit the 25 additional B787 aircraft over the next year as part of a US$400 million investment to modernise its legacy fleet, two of which are already undergoing the process. Upon full completion of the B787 retrofit programme by 2027, the airline aims to upgrade the onboard experience on more than 300 flights per week to destinations across the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia.
Air India says it will subsequently retrofit 13 of its legacy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
“The retrofit of our first widebody aircraft is a visible symbol of the momentum behind Air India’s transformation,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India. “With 25 other 787s undergoing this comprehensive refresh, we are rapidly modernising the backbone of our long-haul fleet and raising the bar for customers flying between India and the world.”
