Air India is likely to start retrofitting more than 100 aircraft in 2025, CEO Campbell Wilson said on Wednesday. According to him, 40 of these 100 aircraft are going to be wide-body planes. Besides, he said that the airline has procured around 25,000 seats, which will be installed in the aircraft.
Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024, Wilson said that Air India’s fleet will be fitted with new seats by mid-2026. Notably, the retrofit programme is a significant step in Air India’s transformation journey, under which it aims to provide an enhanced onboard ambience to its passengers. The airline had announced it would spend $400 million refurbishing its Boeing 777 and 787 widebody aircraft, as well as the A320neo planes.
The overall plan is to overhaul these aircraft with new seats, modern inflight entertainment systems, new upholstery, and the possible addition of premium-class seats. Furthermore, he cited that the airline will establish hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. However, he pointed out that bottlenecks like a lack of digital visa processing and airport connectivity continue. In terms of airfares, he said that average ticket prices have lagged behind the average rate of inflation.