Summary
- Air India introduces premium economy on narrowbody fleet to enhance passenger experience with new hard products.
- Three-class configuration on retrofitted A320neos with larger seats, PED holders, and USB ports aims for world-class-standard service.
- Comprehensive fleet upgrade includes mood lighting, wider pitch, and multiple charging ports in Business class for a premium travel experience.
Air India has become the latest airline to offer premium economy products on its narrowbody fleet. Additionally, the carrier debuted a three-class configuration with new hard products for its Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Improving the passenger experience
Every so often, airlines update their hard products onboard aircraft to offer their passengers the best experience possible and keep up with the latest products. Recently, we have seen this happen with United Airlines and its narrowbody fleet, as well as Air India with its new Airbus A350s. Last year, Air India ordered 40 Airbus A350s, the first of which joined the fleet in December.
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Now, the airline is investing heavily in its narrowbody fleet. Earlier today, the airline unveiled a three-cabin configuration on two retrofitted Airbus A320neos and announced plans to retrofit all A320neos. Different from before, Air India will offer premium economy on narrowbodies, with 24 seats offering a 32-inch seat pitch, a four-inch recline, a portable electronic device (PED) holder, and a USB charging port.
“The upgrade of the narrowbody fleet, which operates on domestic and short-haul international network, complements the upgraded widebody experience now available on our A350 fleet and new B777s, and on all other widebodies as they are refitted over the next two years. This comprehensive upgradation of Air India’s physical product is an important component of transforming into a world-class airline.” – Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India
The airline plans to retrofit the remaining narrowbodies throughout the next year while new deliveries from Airbus will already come in the three-cabin configuration. The planes will have 164 seats, eight in Business, 24 in Premium Economy, and 132 in Economy, all made by Collins Aerospace. New features include cabin mood lighting, wider pitch, PED holders, and USB ports.
In the new Business class cabin, passengers can expect a 40-inch pitch and seven-inch recline, along with adjustable armrests, footrests, and backrests. Unlike the rest of the cabin, business class will also have multiple charging ports. Economy has less pitch, of course, with 28-29 inches and four-inch recline, like Premium Economy.
Those who want to experience the new products can fly on the following routes from July 1:
Air India’s current fleet
According to data from ch-aviation, Air India already has 46 Airbus A320neos in its fleet, along with four A321neos. Last February, Air India announced a massive order for 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, including 210 planes from the A320neo family. Data shows Air India is now waiting on 275 A320neo family aircraft, broken down by 125 A320neos and 150 A321neos, including one Long Range (LR) variant.
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Additionally, Air India operates some first-generation Airbus narrowbodies. The airline still has the A319, A320, and A321 in its fleet. There are ten A319s with an average age of 15.8 years, nine A320s averaging 11.4 years, and 13 A321s averaging 15.2 years. Today, the airline has 142 aircraft in its fleet and another 478 still on order, showing the potential for growth in Indian aviation. Boeing India President Salil Gupte has said that India is the fastest-growing market worldwide, and the growth should continue.