Air India welcomes first Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner with custom interiors in Hyderabad

Air India has rolled out custom‑designed cabin interiors for its first Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner, a big milestone in its fleet transformation programme. The aircraft, which will begin flying commercially on February 1, is the first Dreamliner built with interiors tailored specifically for the airline.

This new cabin design sets a fresh standard for Air India’s long‑haul services and will soon be adopted across the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, including both new and existing aircraft.

A new standard for passengers

The Boeing 787‑9, registered VT‑AWA, was delivered to Air India on January 11, after flying non‑stop from Boeing’s Everett facility in the United States. It is slated to enter service on the Mumbai‑Frankfurt route, one of Air India’s key international links.

Air India’s CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson described the interior rollout as a landmark moment. He said the new design “underscores our commitment to delivering a world‑class physical product and inflight experience to complement the warm Indian hospitality already delivered by our crew.”

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The 787‑9’s cabin features a three‑class layout with Business, Premium Economy and Economy sections, all enhanced with modern seating, and inflight entertainment systems, among other things.

Retrofitting the rest of the fleet

This aircraft isn’t the only one getting the upgrade. Air India plans to retrofit its existing 26 Boeing 787‑8 aircraft with the same interiors and entertainment systems, and 19 more 787‑9s on order will arrive with the new design already installed.

The retrofit programme is under way now, with the first updated planes expected to re‑enter service in the coming weeks and full completion targeted by mid‑2027.