Air India's VT-EXN is the first of the 27 narrowbody aircraft inherited at the time of takeover, which was elected for a complete retrofit to the new Air India standard
VT-EXN was sent for retrofit last year. Pic/Air India
The Air India on Monday revealed its first retrofitted narrowbody aircraft, VT-EXN (A320 neo aircraft), back into operations, marking an important milestone in the airline’s transformation journey, an official statement said.
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Air India's VT-EXN is the first of the 27 narrowbody aircraft inherited at the time of takeover, which was elected for a complete retrofit to the new Air India standard.
VT-EXN was sent for retrofit last year.
According to an official statement, the transformation includes new seats, carpets, curtains, cabin ambience, a three-class cabin configuration, as well as a fresh coat of paint and new livery—all in the new Air India branding. Its retrofit is part of the USD 400 million retrofit programme announced by the Tata Group to upgrade the airline’s entire fleet of legacy narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
It said that the VT-EXN and the remaining 26 A320neos will be operating on the domestic and short-haul international, alongside the 14 new A320neos that have been welcomed into the fleet lately that offer modern amenities in three-class cabin configurations, ensuring a uniformly luxurious experience for passengers.
As part of the retrofit for all of the 27 A320neo that is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2025, the airline will be installing over 3,500 brand-new Economy Class seats, more than 600 Premium Economy seats, and 200 Business Class seats, the official statement said.
It has taken 450 meters of premium leather, 15,000 meters of high-quality fabric, and 4,000 meters of plush carpeting, it said.
All the refitted A320neo aircraft feature eight luxurious Business seats, 24 extra legroom seats in Premium Economy, and 132 comfortable Economy seats, it said.
The retrofit schedule will also see more legacy aircraft, including 40 widebody B787 and B777 aircraft, undergo makeover, with the first B787 flying out for retrofit next month, the official statement said.
The retrofit has soothing interior ambience, spacious legroom, and a wider seat pitch, along with modern features such as portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports. New carpets, curtains, upholstery, and cabin panels with fresh design motifs will reinforce the brand livery, the airlines statement said.
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