Air India CEO expresses frustration at fleet retrofit delays

As with many other airlines, the slow delivery of seats has been the main pacing item for the refit programs, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said during a media briefing during IATA’s 81st Annual General Meeting in Delhi on 2 June. This has been the most problematic supply chain issue for the carrier.

There have been delays at four out of five of the carrier’s seat suppliers, Wilson said. One supplier walked away from a contract “and left us in the lurch,” causing a two-year delay in one retrofit program. Others have been delayed by around one year.

“Things may be getting better, but I don’t want to give anyone any credit because its still very painful,” Wilson said.

Wilson added that the Boeing 787 retrofit programme will begin soon. Work will begin on the first aircraft in July, and the retrofit is expected to be completed and certified in September-October.

Once the first aircraft is completed, the rest of the 787 fleet will be retrofitted at a rate of 2-3 per month. All the work should be completed in 2027.

Air India has begun what it describes as a “heavy refresh” of its 777 fleet, as the full retrofit program of these aircraft has been delayed. Panels, carpets and upholstery will be replaced or repaired, but seats will not be replaced.

The full retrofit of the 777 fleet—including new seats—is set to begin at the end of 2026, Wilson said. This process is expected to continue through the end of 2027.

A retrofit for the airline’s Airbus narrowbodies is also underway. The first 27 aircraft are due to be completed by September or October. Air India has decided to extend the retrofit to another 13 older narrowbodies, which will be addressed after the initial batch is finished.

It will likely be a few more years before the Vistara fleet is repainted in Air India livery and interior colours are changed, Wilson said. He noted that the Vistara aircraft are typically younger, so they will be rebranded after the Air India fleet retrofit and repainting is completed.

Air India is set to receive another 787 in a couple of months, and another A350 early in 2026. Its next widebody deliveries are expected to begin in late 2026. The airline has more than 500 aircraft remaining on order, including 75 widebodies.

While the carrier has leased aircraft to help bridge the gap until new deliveries arrive, Wilson signalled that it is unlikely to bring in more as the lease market is very tight.

Air India is generally looking to extend existing leases rather than return aircraft. However, the carrier is committed to returning five leased 777-200LRs that will be converted to freighters for another customer.