MUMBAI: Air India passengers wondering why even after eleven months of being in Tata hands its aircraft continue to wear that run-down look would be relieved to learn that the airline has started refurbishing its legacy wide-body fleet comprising 27 Boeing 787-8 and 13 B777 aircraft, committing over $400m for the project. What would surprise the passengers though is the time taken to complete the job. The first refurbished aircraft will enter service only in mid-2024, said the airline on Thursday.
There are many things that money can’t buy and what falls into that category within the airline industry is the gargantuan, time-devouring task of aircraft refurbishment. No amount of money can warp speed an aircraft refurbishment job. “On one hand the challenge is to design the cabin including seats, tables, armrests, seat belts etc in an aesthetically appealing manner on the other, the airline should ensure that the new installations are light weight and comply with the safety requirements laid down by the multiple aviation regulators concerned,” said an industry source, requesting anonymity. “The baseline of the safety is that in the event of an accident, a passenger should be able to come out of the aircraft safely without any injury,” he added. The planning process itself then can take months because the entire aircraft cabin needs to be stripped down and rebuilt sequentially like a jigsaw puzzle with minute details in place.
