THE MANY AIRCRAFT IN THE AI FLEET

Air India has multiple aircraft types with differing layouts in its fleet.It will be a huge challernge for the airline as it grapples with the complexeties of operating such a diverse mix.

-  AMEYA JOSHI 

On August 10, 2023, Air India unveiled its new branding and also publicly stated its plan for the refurbishment of the 13 B777-300ER that it has in its fleet. The airline will induct the first of six A350 900s in the next couple of months before the rest of the A350-1000 start coming in along with the Dreamliners and eventually the B77X.

As things stand, Air India will have three B777-200LRs and 13 B777-300ERs that are legacy acquisitions from the old Air India, six B777-300ERs that earlier operated for Etihad, three B777-300ERs that earlier operated for Singapore Airlines, five former Delta Air Lines B777-200LRs, its own Dreamliners and the A350-900

What to expect in each fleet?

A) The refurbished B777-300ERs of Air India The airline has 13 of those in its fleet and does a lot of heavy lifting amongst its routes with flights primarily to North American destinations, barring the long flights to San Francisco which are operated by the B777-200LR.

Currently, the aircraft is configured with four First-class suites, 35 Business class seats which are arranged in 2-3-2 seating (7 abreast, 5 rows) and 303 economy class seats which are 9 abreast. Air India released a video of how the refurbishment would look and a detailed look at it shows how the new LOPA (Layout of Passenger Amenities) is likely to be.

Introduction of Premium Economy