Air India today unveiled its first retrofitted, twin-aisle Boeing 787-8 (registered VT-ANT), marking the successful completion of a nose-to-tail cabin refresh of the first of 26 787 aircraft.
The aircraft, which received comprehensive interior upgrades at Boeing’s Modification Center in Victorville, California, was subsequently painted in Air India’s striking new livery at AeroPro, an FAA Part-145 certified aircraft paint facility in San Bernardino, California.
Refreshed cabins, upgraded experience
As part of the retrofit, the aircraft interiors were completely reconfigured, transforming it from a two-class layout previously to a modern three-class configuration now with the installation of brand-new seats and inflight entertainment (IFE) system, and bringing the aircraft in line with Air India’s latest widebody product standards, as seen on its new bespoke Boeing 787-9 inducted in January 2026.
The first 787 took close to 12,825 manhours over 45 days for the retrofit, as teams progressed through a tightly choreographed workflow — from stripping out the legacy interiors to reconfiguring the cabins, installing new seats, carpets, wall laminates, overhauling galleys, lavatories, and rigorously testing the new seating and cabin components.
Refurbishing the first aircraft required a total of 475 metres of fabric for new seats across cabins; 167 metres of synthetic leather; 169 metres of carpet; and 646 litres of paint.
The aircraft exterior received a complete makeover as well, with a 20‑member specialist team dedicating over 5,700 hours over 18 days to strip the old livery and meticulously apply the new Air India colours.
These custom-styled cabins now include 20 luxurious private suites in Business Class in a 1-2-1 layout, each offering privacy sliding doors, direct aisle access, 42-inch of pitch, fully flat 79‑inch bed, 17‑inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreen, multiple charging options, a softly lit cubby, vanity mirror, headphone hook, and a jaali‑inspired feature lamp.
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