Air India to overhaul passenger experience in 2026 with A350s, 787 deliveries and 787‑8 retrofits

Air India says 2026 will bring visible customer upgrades as the carrier inducts roughly 26 new widebodies including A350‑1000s and B787‑9s, completes cabin retrofits and IFE upgrades on its 787‑8s (two‑thirds done by year‑end), and refreshes lounges while maintaining flat overall capacity.

Discovered 2025-11-24T04:38:22.494046-08:00 | 2025-11-24T04:38:22.494046-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Fleet and product: Air India plans to add about 26 aircraft by 2026 and is fitting 787‑8s with new cabins and IFE (two‑thirds of 787 retrofits expected by year‑end), a concentrated effort to lift onboard and lounge experience.
  • Network and capacity: The carrier is prioritising visible service upgrades despite broadly flat capacity, supporting resumed long‑haul routes such as its planned restart of nonstop Delhi–Shanghai services in 2026 (operating with 787‑8s).
  • Supply context: These upgrades and new widebody inductions occur against an industry backdrop where widebody availability remains constrained, with lessors and OEMs warning of tight long‑haul supply. (See AerCap commentary on widebody supply)

Reported By

airindia.com Live From A Lounge Aviation A2Z m.economictimes.com One Mile at a Time AirInsight
Sources Tracked
10
First Seen
2025-11-24T04:38:22.494046-08:00
Latest Update
2025-11-30T22:27:36.673906-08:00
Coverage
Aviation

Sources

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