Air India restores last grounded aircraft VT-ALL, completes fleet revival amid overhaul efforts

Air India has brought back into service its final long-grounded aircraft, VT-ALL, marking the completion of a major fleet revival exercise undertaken after its return to the Tata Group and a key milestone in its overhaul efforts.

The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, had been grounded since February 2020 and rejoined operations in March 2026 following an extensive restoration programme.

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The development comes as the aviation sector remains under heightened safety scrutiny after last year’s Air India crash near Ahmedabad, which triggered tighter regulatory oversight and stricter monitoring of maintenance practices.

"This was just the first step. VT‑ALL, along with our other legacy B777s, will undergo a full retrofit beginning 2027," the airline said in a post on X.

Six-year grounding ends

VT-ALL was among 30 aircraft in Air India’s legacy fleet that had remained non-operational for years. Since privatisation in 2022, the airline has been working to restore these planes as part of efforts to rebuild capacity and support long-haul expansion.

The aircraft entered the MRO facility in Nagpur in May 2025, where it underwent a comprehensive, nose-to-tail overhaul.

Massive restoration effort

The scale of the work was significant, involving the installation of over 3,000 new components and completion of more than 4,000 maintenance tasks, including around 80 mandated structural modifications.

Key assemblies such as engines, auxiliary power unit (APU), cowls and thrust reversers were replaced, while critical systems—including air conditioning, landing gear, hydraulics, avionics and oxygen systems—were fully rebuilt.

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All repairs and replacements were carried out under strict regulatory oversight by Directorate General of Civil Aviation, with technical support from Boeing.

Cleared for operations

The aircraft has successfully completed its test flight and secured the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), clearing it for regular commercial operations.

Air India said the restoration was driven by coordinated efforts across engineering, maintenance, supply chain and quality teams, working round the clock to bring the aircraft back into service.

With the return of VT-ALL, the airline has now fully revived all 30 previously grounded aircraft, closing a key chapter in its post-privatisation turnaround strategy.