Air India sends legacy B787-8 aircraft to Boeing's Shanghai facility under retrofit programme

New Delhi: As it works on expediting the revamp of the wide-body fleet, Air India has started sending its legacy B787-8 aircraft for retrofit at Boeing's facility in Shanghai, according to officials.

Generally, these aircraft are sent to Boeing's MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in Victorville in the US.

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The officials said the airline has sent one Boeing 787-8 plane, also known as Dreamliner, to the facility in Shanghai, China. With the additional option of this facility, Air India looks to expedite the retrofitting of these planes, they added.

There was no official comment from Air India.

The airline has 26 legacy Dreamliners and out of them, retrofit has been completed for three planes. Two Dreamliners are undergoing retrofit at Victorille and another one at Shanghai.

Out of its over 185 planes, there are 60 wide-bodies comprising B787s, B777s, and A350s.

There are 35 Dreamliners, 19 B777-300 ERs and 6 A350-900s. Three more wide-body planes -- one B787-9 and two A350-1000s are expected to join the fleet this year.

Among the Dreamliners, 26 are B787-8s, three are new B787-9s and the remaining six are B787-9s from erstwhile Vistara.

The airline's wide-body retrofit programme has been delayed due to various reasons, including supply chain issues.

During a townhall on Thursday, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said Air India Group expects to induct over 100 new planes in the next two years and that 16 Boeing 787-8 aircraft are to be retrofitted in 2027.

The group comprises Air India and Air India Express.