Air India has revealed images of the carrier’s first retrofitted Airbus A320neo aircraft which has been re-introduced into the airline’s operational fleet after a complete cabin refit in line with airline owner Tata Group’s new product specifications and standards. VT-EXN is the first of the 27 narrowbody aircraft inherited at the time of takeover that was elected to undergo a complete retrofit to the new Air India standard, with new seats, carpets, curtain, cabin ambiance, a three-class cabin configuration, along with a fresh coat of paint featuring the new Air India livery.
VT-EXN was a legacy from Air India’s days as a government-owned carrier and was sent for a complete makeover as part of the airline’s $400-million retrofit program for 67 legacy aircraft which will include 27 narrowbody and 40 widebody planes.

The retrofit of the 27 legacy narrowbody planes began in September 2024 and is expected to be completed by the July to September quarter of 2025. The retrofit process for the airline’s 40 legacy wide-body aircraft is scheduled to begin with the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner set to temporarily leave the fleet in April 2025 for a makeover, with the refit of its older Boeing 777 aircraft scheduled to start later in 2025. The airline hopes to complete the wide-body retrofit plan by mid-2027.
Rebuilt. Refined. Ready to soar.
The first of our 27 A320neo is stepping into the future with a modern three-class experience.
This isn’t just the next chapter. It’s the start of a whole new story in the sky.#FlyAI #NewAirIndia #A320neo pic.twitter.com/VyzzSOctW7
— Air India (@airindia) March 17, 2025
As part of the A320neo retrofit program, the airline will be installing over 3,500 brand-new economy class seats, more than 600 premium economy seats, and 200 business class seats. According to the carrier, it takes 450 meters (1,485ft) of premium leather, 15,000 meters (49,500ft) of high-quality fabric, and 4,000 meters (143,200ft) of new carpeting to complete the refit process.
VT-EXN and the remaining 26 A320neos will operate on the carrier’s domestic and short-haul international networks, alongside the 14 new A320neos that have been welcomed into the fleet in recent months. All of the refitted A320neo aircraft already feature eight luxurious business seats, 24 extra legroom seats in premium economy, and 132 economy class seats. The retrofit process includes interior ambiance lighting, additional legroom, and wider seat pitch, along with modern features such as portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports.
VT-EXN was originally delivered to Air India in January 2019 making it just over six years old. The aircraft originally featured the carrier’s ‘sunrise’ livery featuring a predominately white fuselage with a thin red stripe merging into a red tail with the carrier’s sun logo emerging from the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. Air India titles in both English and Hindi are featured on either side of the aircraft.