Air India has unveiled the custom-styled cabin interiors of its first line-fit Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Bearing registration mark VT-AWA, the new aircraft features completely new cabin interiors, designed especially for Air India and installed directly on Boeing’s production line. Air India received delivery of the new aircraft on 11 January 2026, arriving in Delhi non-stop from Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington. The aircraft is entering commercial service on flights between Mumbai and Frankfurt from 1 February 2026.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said: “The arrival of this new Boeing 787-9, the first production widebody from the 470 aircraft-strong order signed three years ago, is a significant moment in Air India’s 5-year Vihaan.AI transformation programme. Though nearly 100 new and leased aircraft have already joined the Air India group’s fleet since privatisation, this is the first to be designed by and for Air India. It underscores Air India’s commitment to delivering a world-class physical product and inflight entertainment experience to complement the warm Indian hospitality already delivered by our crew. The new cabin interiors on this aircraft will soon become the standard across our entire Boeing 787 fleet as, in addition to 19 more production aircraft, all 26 of Air India’s existing Boeing 787-8 aircraft are being retrofitted with the same new cabin interiors and entertainment systems. The retrofit programme is well underway, with the first upgraded aircraft due to return to service in the coming weeks and the remainder of the fleet by mid-2027.”
Air India’s new Boeing 787-9 aircraft comes with 296 seats distributed between three cabin classes: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. The cabins feature customised versions of the Elevate Ascent seat in Business Class and RECARO PL3530 and CL3710 seats in Premium Economy and Economy Class, respectively. All seats are equipped with Thales’ state-of-the-art AVANT Up inflight entertainment (IFE) system.
The Business Class cabin consists of 30 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, offering direct aisle access to every guest. Each suite, featuring a sliding privacy door1, reclines into a fully flat bed of 79 inches in length or a chaise lounge, and offers 42” of pitch, 17-inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreen and IFE handset, Bluetooth headphone pairing, wireless charging and Type A and Type C fast charging ports, height-adjustable armrest, as well as plenty of storage. The suite also features an attractive cubby area that offers storage space with soft lighting inside, a vanity mirror and headphone hook, and a feature lamp designed with Air India’s jaali pattern that is inspired by India’s rich architectural and cultural heritage.
Premium Economy – a dedicated, upscale cabin offering greater privacy – features 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, designed for enhanced long-haul comfort. Each seat offers generous legroom with 38-inch pitch and 7-inch recline, 6-way adjustable headrest, individually adjustable calf rest as well as a leg rest, 13.3-inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreen, Type A and Type C fast charging ports, and a bottle holder.
Economy Class features 238 lightweight and ergonomically optimised seats in a 3-3-3 configuration, each offering the standard 31”/32” pitch and 5” recline, an 11.6-inch 4K QLED HDR touchscreen, and Type A and C charging ports. Of the 238 seats in Economy, Air India has made 220 seats available in its booking inventory for flights operated with this new aircraft.
Air India has styled the interiors of the new B787-9 aircraft, including seats, galleys, lavatories, flight crew rest area, side panels, laminates, etc. in collaboration with JPA Design, a global multidisciplinary design studio, especially to reflect Air India’s revitalised global brand identity.
On board the new B787-9 aircraft, Air India has introduced a unique mood lighting systems, developed in collaboration with Tata Elxsi. It draws inspiration from India’s rich heritage in wellness and the ancient concept of chakras – viewed in traditional philosophy as vital energy centres in the human body that support physical, mental, and emotional balance. The new mood lighting offers 10 custom scenes designed to align with passengers’ circadian rhythms and aid melatonin regulation, enhancing wellbeing on long-haul flights.
Thales and Air India debut AVANT Up IFE
Thales and Air India announced the entry into service of Air India’s new 787-9 aircraft equipped with Thales’s AVANT Up inflight entertainment (IFE) platform on 1 February 2026. The system on the new 787-9 features over 3,000 hours of content and the largest library of Indian entertainment available in multiple languages. Vista, powered by Thales’ AVANT Up IFE, combines state-of-the art hardware and software technologies including:
- Ultra-responsive Optiq 4K QLED HDR displays designed to provide the most cinematic viewing experience in the air;
- Thales’ award-winning Pulse dynamic power supply enabling up to 60W of in-screen USB-A and USB-C high-speed charging;
- Bluetooth connection to pair wireless headphones or other devices to the display;
- Interactive 3D map and immersive route-based programming;
- Intuitive user interface (UI) and Kids UI.
“As we embark on this exciting new chapter with our state-of-the-art 787-9, we’re thrilled to offer our passengers an unparalleled inflight experience. By integrating Thales’ cutting-edge AVANT Up system, we are enhancing the comfort and entertainment on board but also showcasing the warmth and hospitality that Air India is known for. This milestone is a significant step forward in our commitment to leading the future of Indian aviation, offering our customers the best of technology and Indian culture in the sky,” said Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India.
“We are proud to support Air India’s customer-centric modernisation journey and bring extraordinary inflight experiences onboard, showcasing the best of India to the world. AVANT Up flying on the airline’s new 787-9 marks a new chapter in our long-standing collaboration. Together, we are elevating the standards for entertainment in the sky, by combining world-class technology with the warmth of Indian hospitality,” said Niels Steenstrup, Chief Executive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience.
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