When the Tata Group reclaimed Air India, sentiment ran high. However, revival demands structural reform, institutional discipline, and relentless execution, particularly for a legacy Indian brand that has weathered its share of turbulence. Over the past few years, the transformation has been largely internal, unfolding behind the scenes, systems-focused, and deeply foundational. Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales, Air India Group, outlines the airline’s latest brand overhaul, from inducting new-generation aircraft and executing extensive cabin retrofit programmes to launching the campaign ‘Change is in the Air’ and driving the Premium Economy segment. These moves signal clear marketing intent, sharper segmentation, scale and growing commercial confidence.
In 2026, we will witness the outward articulation of an internal reset. Manish believes passengers can finally experience the difference, a visible investment in hardware that complements the quieter reset of software, systems, and service culture. Manish shares, “Air India’s order book now stands at approximately 600 aircraft, and of these, 57 have been inducted so far, including those taken by Air India Express. The remaining 543 are yet to arrive.” This is a structural expansion with parallel investment in training, engineering, maintenance, and distribution. The airline is not merely acquiring aircraft, it is rebuilding capacity for the long term.
Full Throttle Network Upgrade
While the initial phase focused on narrow-body aircraft, 2026 marks the inclusion of wide-body structures. The legacy Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, delivered in 2016, is undergoing a full cabin retrofit. The first two are returning shortly, and by mid-to-late next year, all 26 will feature entirely new interiors. The reset has been most visible in the narrow-body fleet, where execution has moved fastest. By October last year, 87 per cent of the Airbus A320 and A321 fleet had undergone retrofit.
Addressing a long-standing irritant, he says, “For frequent flyers, this addresses last-minute aircraft swaps that altered seat layouts and cabin expectations. Uniformity may seem understated, but it is central to sustaining credibility. These aircraft serve not only domestic sectors, but short-haul international routes such as Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Dubai, and Doha. The sequencing was deliberate to fix the high-frequency network first.”
Air India has inducted its first line-fit Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Six new wide-bodies, with a mix of 787-9s and A350s, are expected this calendar year. By December 2026, roughly 50 per cent of the legacy wide-body fleet is projected to be retrofitted, with Boeing 777 upgrades to follow.
Referring to scale, he adds, “The ambition is measurable as out of 4,900 weekly flights, 3,600 already operate on new or retrofitted aircraft. By the end of 2026, 93 per cent of all flights are projected to be on an upgraded product.”
The Premium Economy Strategy
Air India is placing a deliberate bet on Premium Economy at a time when a new traveller segment is emerging, with rapidly evolving expectations, that seeks to fly better but not necessarily at Business or First Class price points.
With nearly 76,000 Premium Economy seats sold each week, this is clearly a long-term revenue play, not a token cabin experiment. The proposition is straightforward yet compelling: dedicated check-in, priority boarding, and priority baggage, cleverly positioned as accessible premium. It acknowledges the growing cohort of Indian travellers who are willing to pay for incremental comfort, but choose to be measured in their upgrade choices. In a market historically polarised between full-service carriers and aggressively unbundled low-cost models, this calibrated middle ground could well prove decisive.
Onboard Experience Hard Reset
The most telling shift is in the details, which is the first thing the passengers will notice. The easily recognisable orange fabric will be gone, replaced by the retrofitted, brand-new upholstery. For an airline that once struggled with dated premium cabins, this is a symbolic leap.
Manish highlights, “Business class on retrofitted 787 aircraft will feature suite-style seating with sliding privacy doors. Food and beverage, historically one of the most scrutinised aspects of the Air India experience, is being recalibrated. Regional wine programmes are being introduced based on the destination. Menu refreshes have begun ex-India and will extend inbound as overseas catering partnerships evolve.” Even domestic narrow-body menus are being redesigned around contemporary Indian tastes, and this detail reflects a serious and significant shift. Premium credibility, after all, is earned meal by meal, sector by sector, quietly.
Upgrade On Ground
The opening of the Maharaja Lounge at Delhi T3 is part of the same competitive recalibration. Designed over 18 months, the space features distinct business and first-class zones, private rest suites, curated bar areas, and design cues rooted in brand heritage. Explaining the objective behind this move, Manish notes, “If Air India expects transit passengers to choose Delhi over Middle Eastern hubs, the ground experience must compete with Gulf carrier benchmarks. Upgrades are underway in San Francisco and New York. Domestic lounges are being renovated. The airline is signalling that premium does not begin at boarding.”
What distinguishes this phase from past revival attempts is the backend investment. Manish shares a list of intentional, investment-heavy upgrades that highlight Air India’s serious long-term intent. He reveals, “Our ongoing plan is a new training academy in Gurugram with the capacity to train 2,000 personnel daily and fitted with twenty-plus simulators. A flying school in Amravati with 34 training aircraft. A major MRO facility in Bengaluru to reduce overseas dependency, which is a major investment. A centralised 24×7 global sales support system and refund cycles reduced from up to 90 days to within five days.”
Measuring Sentiment in Real Time
As the transformation gathers pace, the airline is tracking Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a key performance indicator of progress. In December 2023, the narrow-body operations score was minus 19 and now stands at 41. The Boeing 777 fleet, once at minus 35, records 50-plus on upgraded aircraft. With almost 200,000 passengers providing monthly feedback spanning booking, cabin crew, food, and check-in, the data points to measurable improvement, but whether that converts into enduring brand redefinition remains the larger test.
On the corporate front, the change is equally telling. At takeover, Air India reportedly had around 150 corporate agreements. Today, that figure stands at approximately 2,100 across Indian and global contracts, including about 150 Fortune 500 companies, with ambitions to double that base. Corporate travel is unforgiving. It rewards reliability, network depth, and premium consistency, particularly in an aviation landscape crowded with excellent international airline choices. Growth in this segment signals more than just expansion; it signals restored confidence.
The Real Test Lies Ahead
Air India’s transformation is no longer theoretical, nor is it confined to campaign messaging. New and retrofitted aircraft are entering service, cabins are being refreshed, lounges are opening, and training infrastructure is in place. The visible upgrades now mirror the structural reset that has been underway for the past few years.
Inevitably, scale will become the next frontier. A 600-aircraft ambition requires execution discipline of the highest order, yet this investment-heavy move signals intent and long-term confidence. The narrative has clearly shifted from aspiration to implementation. The question is no longer whether change is evident and underway, but how effectively and consistently it can be delivered as the airline grows into its next phase.
