New Delhi: Air India on Friday, which has commenced a mega transformation plan, said that one-third of its twin-aisle aircraft will offer modern, plush seats and hi-tech inflight entertainment systems by March 2024.

Previously this year, the Tata Group-owned airline had placed orders for 470 aircraft, together with 70 wide-body ones along with Airbus and Boeing.

CEO words

“By the end of this financial year, the six new A350s, together with the 5 leased B772LRs and 9 other B773ERs we’re also inducting, will mean that our wide-body fleet will have grown in size by 30 per cent within a year,” stated Air India’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson while addressing to the staff.

He said that by March 2024, nearly one-third of the company’s aircraft will contain modern seats in addition to hi-tech inflight entertainment systems.

Moreover, Wilson said that the remaining aircraft will then start their full USD 400 million interior refits. This airline’s hard product will be up to a consistently high standard on every aircraft.

Arising Customer Dissatisfaction

Earlier, the airline came across a bunch of complaints regarding the malfunctioning seats and inflight entertainment systems in some of its wide-body aircraft, which mostly operate on long and ultra-long haul routes.

These aircraft of the airline company mainly operate in the US and Europe.

During this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) circulated the letter of Type Acceptance for the airline’s Rolls Royce-powered A350s.

Currently, the airline company holds 50 wide-body aircraft in its fleet of 124 planes. Among the fleet, it has 15 B777-300s, 8 B-777-200s and 27 B787-800s, while the remaining ones are the narrowed-body ones.

Meanwhile, Air India and CFM International have made the deal for the order for LEAP engines for the carrier’s new fleet of 400 narrow-body planes.

The newly ordered engines will power 210 Airbus A320/A321 neo and 190 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft.