A second aircraft is scheduled to depart for the same facility in October 2025, with both expected to return to service in December 2025.

The retrofit programme for Air India’s B787-8s, now on a steady schedule for completion by mid-2027, will introduce brand-new interiors featuring a three-class configuration with Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class seats. This includes the installation of brand-new seats in each cabin, advanced inflight entertainment (IFE) systems, new carpeting, curtains, upholstery, lavatories, galleys and more - all aligned with the new Air India product and customer experience standards.

Starting in early 2027, Air India will additionally retrofit 13 of its legacy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, aiming for completion by October 2028, with the timeline having shifted due to supply chain delays.

Reliability Enhancement Programme for Legacy B787-8

As part of a Reliability Enhancement Programme, Air India will be upgrading the avionics and other critical components of the 26 legacy B787-8 aircraft up to the latest industry standards, thus improving their reliability. The programme entails the analysis of maintenance and configuration records for these aircraft, followed by the implementation of recommended modifications based on Boeing’s service information bulletins. This is intended to reduce operational disruptions for both, Air India and its customers.

Additionally, seven of the 26 B787-8s will undergo heavy, scheduled maintenance (D-checks) at Victorville, ensuring the fleet’s long-term operational excellence.

This announcement follows the recent launch of IndiGo’s direct flight on Mumbai-Tbilisi (Georgia) route. IndiGo already operates direct flights from Delhi to Tashkent, Almaty and Tbilisi since 2023. 

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said: “Building on the successful operations from New Delhi to Tbilisi, Almaty and Tashkent, we are pleased to now connect all these destinations with Mumbai. Recently, we have also commenced our long-haul flights from Mumbai to Manchester & Amsterdam, marking our entry into Europe. With these, IndiGo will further strengthen connectivity from the country’s financial capital to destinations within India, as well as across the globe. We hope that customers will enjoy flying to different parts of the world from Mumbai with India’s preferred airline.”

The airline said this is due to a combination of operational factors, to ensure the reliability and integrity of Air India’s overall route network.

The suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India’s fleet, as the airline commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month. This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least end of 2026. That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline’s long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity.

Customers with Air India bookings to or from Washington, D.C. beyond September 1, 2025 will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including rebooking on other flights or full refunds, as per their individual preferences.

Air India customers will continue to have the options of one-stop flights to Washington, D.C. via four U.S. gateways – New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco – with the airline’s interline partners, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination.

The suspension was part of a self-imposed “Safety Pause” that allowed the airline to carry out additional checks on its Boeing 787 fleet.

“I recognise that there have been some operational challenges over the last few weeks that may have impacted your travel experience. Rest assured, we take this seriously and are committed to strengthening our internal processes to minimise such inconvenience,” said Wilson

“This measured approach ensures we complete every verification thoroughly and resume service with complete confidence.”

The full resumption of international services is expected to help stabilise Air India’s flight schedules and restore key long-haul routes.

There is an intense focus on access to India’s booming international air travel market as India’s home-grown players seek to capture their fair share of traffic, which has for many years been tapped successfully by overseas carriers.

The pace at which India opens its market, alongside the rate at which Indian carriers can grow internationally as they take delivery of longer-haul aircraft, are major talking points.

In the panel titled: Market dynamics of India and South Asia, veteran airline leader and consultant Willy Boulter, the former chief commercial officer of IndiGo, will lead the debate.

“Over the past decades, India market access and regulation has been inconsistent, to say the least,” explained Boulter. “With the burgeoning market, a large number of foreign countries and airlines are pushing for more clarity in opening the skies and some would say we are at a watershed moment.”

Aviation India is pleased to welcome Steven Greenway, Chief Executive Officer of flyadeal, the rapidly expanding Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier to the Summit, in addition to another airline industry veteran Sandeep Bahl, executive programme director, US-India aviation cooperation programme.

“Being one of the most dynamic air travel markets in the world, India simply cannot be ignored for any serious airline,” said Greenway. “I am absolutely delighted to represent flyadeal at the upcoming Aviation India conference in Delhi as it is a perfect platform and perfect timing to talk about our exciting plans to enter the India market from the end of the year.

Greenway added: "With our low-cost proposition serving a number of Indian destinations direct from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we are gearing up for a very busy period.”

“I look forward to joining fellow delegates on a panel discussion to share insights about being a new entrant to India that builds on the success of our very first scheduled flights to South Asia earlier this year when we launched flights to Pakistan,” said Greenway.

The 2nd edition of Aviation India & South Asia Summit & Exhibition 2025 is organised by Times Aerospace Events (MESA) alongside joint venture partner, the MRO Association of India.

Under the event headline: “Shaping the pathway for Indian aviation”, the Summit promises to be one of the most significant gatherings of the commercial air transport community and ecosystem this year in India and builds upon the success of the launch summit in 2024 which attracted 582 delegates.

It is expected the 2025 edition will attract over 800 delegates and some 70 exhibitors.

Among the senior names from India’s aviation industry taking part in the Summit are Campbell Wilson of Air India, Pieter Elbers of IndiGo, Salil Gupte of Boeing India, and Bharat Malkani, CEO of Max Aerospace.

Aviation India summit 2025 builds on the formula of the successful Times Aerospace Aviation Africa events, which began in Dubai in 2015 and have been held in Rwanda, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.

The ceremony was attended by government dignitaries along with airport and airline leadership including Gunjan Krishna IAS, Commissioner-Industries, Government of Karnataka; Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo; Hari Marar, Chief Executive Officer, BIAL; Isidre Porqueras, Chief Operating Officer, IndiGo; Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL and Parichay Datta, Senior Vice President – Engineering, IndiGo.

The project is expected to complete and fully functional by the beginning of the year 2028. 

IndiGo will build one of India’s largest MROs on 31 acres of land recently allocated by Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL).  This facility will be three times bigger compared to the combined capacity of IndiGo’s MROs in Delhi and Bengaluru. The new MRO facility will have a capacity of up to 12 bays and the capability to handle both, narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, helping IndiGo to advance further in its aspiration to become a global aviation player by 2030. 

IndiGo had signed the MOU with BIAL for the allocation of land in May 2025, and commenced construction in just two months. This signifies the airline’s vigorous strides towards creating a self-reliant aviation ecosystem in the country. This facility will also create over a thousand of jobs across engineers, technicians and several more, further contributing towards nation building. 

Elbers said: “We are very excited as we commence the project to build this grand MRO facility in Bengaluru. This also strengthens our operational presence in Bengaluru which is one of our largest bases with over 200 daily flights. This is also an important step towards shaping the future of the Indian aviation by developing a holistic aviation ecosystem in the nation.”

The agreement covers both cargo and growing passenger operations, marking ACL Airshop’s official expansion into the Indian subcontinent. The partnership will involve the supply and management of the IndiGo ULD fleet to meet their current and future operations. The deal also includes maintenance and repair services, access to the ACL Airshop network and short-term fleet, as well as bring next generation tracking technology to the IndiGo ULD fleet. “We are very pleased to announce this strategic partnership with one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines,” said Bernhard Kindelbacher, CEO of ACL Airshop.

“This collaboration not only reinforces our position as a global ULD management services leader but also allows us to support IndiGo wherever their growth journey takes them.” Mark Sutch, chief commercial officer - cargo at IndiGo, commented: “As our requirement for ULDs grows, we are delighted to be partnering with ACL Airshop and appreciate that they could quickly and efficiently respond to IndiGo’s requirements and were fully operational in a short span of just two months.”

The agreement covers both cargo and growing passenger operations, marking ACL Airshop’s official expansion into the Indian subcontinent.

The partnership will involve the supply and management of the IndiGo ULD fleet to meet their current and future operations. The deal also includes maintenance and repair services, access to the ACL Airshop network and short-term fleet, as well as bring next generation tracking technology to the IndiGo ULD fleet.

“We are very pleased to announce this strategic partnership with one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines,” said Bernhard Kindelbacher, CEO of ACL Airshop. “This collaboration not only reinforces our position as a global ULD management services leader but also allows us to support IndiGo wherever their growth journey takes them.” 

Mark Sutch, chief commercial officer - Cargo at IndiGo, commented: “As our requirement for ULDs grows, we are delighted to be partnering with ACL Airshop and appreciate that they could quickly and efficiently respond to IndiGo’s requirements and were fully operational in a short span of just two months.”

The agreement will allow IndiGo to place its code on KLM operated routes to 30 destinations across these regions, via Amsterdam. IndiGo has recently commenced its nonstop, long-haul operations from Mumbai to Amsterdam using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, damp-leased from Norse Atlantic Airlines. 

Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said: “At IndiGo, we are committed to offering seamless global connectivity to our customers as part of our ambitious internationalisation strategy. We are delighted to deepen our partnership with KLM, providing our customers with greater convenience when traveling across Europe and the UK through Schiphol airport, one of the biggest European hubs. We are confident that our customers will value and benefit from the seamless connectivity offered through the vast combined networks of IndiGo and KLM. This collaboration aligns with our vision of giving wings to the nation and fostering more opportunities for boosting trade and tourism between India, Europe and rest of the world.”

The airline has also announced its frequency to London. Qatar Airways marks up to 10 daily flights to London as its highest-ever frequency, which is complemented by British Airways’ double daily flights.

Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Thierry Antinori, said: “Qatar Airways is consistently witnessing a steady rise in demand for our 5-star services to some of the most prominent destinations in the world, most notably for London, Dublin, Cape Town, and São Paulo. This winter, in partnership with Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia will launch flights from Melbourne to Doha, increasing capacity to three daily flights between the two cities. Qatar Airways will also restart services to Canberra, reinforcing its commitment to enhance connectivity between Australia and the world.

“The latest increase in flight frequency is testament to our continual and unmatched enhancements of experiences for our passengers travelling through the Best Airport in the Middle East – our hub, Hamad International Airport.”

Qatar Airways this winter: 

• Abu Dhabi – increased from five daily flights to up to six 
• Berlin – increased from 18 weekly flights to up to 21 
• Cape Town – increased from 10 weekly flights to up to 12 
• Casablanca – increased from four weekly flights to five 
• Dublin – increased from 14 weekly flights to 17 
• Frankfurt – increased from 18 weekly flights to up to 21 
• Johannesburg – increased from 14 weekly flights to 18 
• London Heathrow – increased from eight daily flights to up to 10 
• Madrid – increased from 14 weekly flights to 17 
• Maldives – increased from three daily flights to up to four 
• Manchester – increased from 21 weekly flights to up to 24 
• Phuket – increased from three daily flights to up to four
• São Paulo – increased from 14 weekly flights to 18 
• Sharjah – increased from three daily flights to up to seven 
• Tokyo Narita – increased from 11 weekly flights to up to 14 
• Toronto – increased from five weekly flights to seven