When will the heritage fleet receive its just compensation, and what obstacles are standing in the way, as the Tatas near the anniversary of their acquisition of Air India?
A number of viral reels, videos, and articles that voiced worries on the quality of Air India’s planes have appeared on social media in recent days. A recent incident aboard one of Air India’s B777s highlighted issues over the general state of amenities and seat comfort. The customer in question paid ₹4.5 lakh for the flight from Canada to Delhi. A different customer on Air India’s recently established route from Mumbai to Melbourne in December had many complaints about the airline’s technology and software.
A number of viral reels, videos, and articles that voiced worries on the quality of Air India’s planes have appeared on social media in recent days. A recent incident aboard one of Air India’s B777s highlighted issues over the general state of amenities and seat comfort. The customer in question paid ₹4.5 lakh for the flight from Canada to Delhi. A different customer on Air India’s recently established route from Mumbai to Melbourne in December had many complaints about the airline’s technology and software.
This is happening in the context of Air India’s first A350 landing in India during the final week of 2023 and preparing for domestic flights beginning on January 22. When will the heritage fleet receive its just compensation, and what obstacles are standing in the way, as the Tatas near the anniversary of their acquisition of Air India?
Why these complaints? :Upon assuming ownership of Air India, the Tata group discovered that some of its aircraft were grounded due to inadequate maintenance, which was caused by a shortage of funding. The group initially began going back to its former destinations after infusing money and bringing the planes into service. It then increased the frequency of those trips and added additional routes, such as that to Melbourne from Mumbai.
Due to years of inadequate maintenance and supply chain problems, the plane’s IFE and seats are outdated and not in the finest condition. The Tatas have collaborated with their group firms to even replace traditional components that are no longer accessible because of supply chain problems, supplier closures, or the main seat being out of service. 3D printed materials have taken the place of these parts. But, there are still problems with IFE that cannot be fixed, or the damage is too great to be fixed in a short amount of time.
When can we expecting a shift? : Air India plans to fully renovate the interiors of its 43 widebody aircraft from its legacy fleet, at a cost of US $400 million. Of these 43, 16 B777s and 27 B787s are present. The renovations are expected to start in the middle of 2024. New in-flight entertainment systems, in-flight Wi-Fi internet access, and brand-new chairs will also be installed in each cabin.
It is anticipated that the exercise would conclude by the end of 2025, meaning that more than two aircraft will begin to be delivered restored in the latter part of current year. The airline projects that 33% of its widebody fleet will be modernized by March 2024. It is possible that it will see six A350s (one of which is in India), five B77Ls that were once part of Delta’s fleet and are still in service, and B77Ws that are part of Etihad and Singapore Airlines.
Is there no other choice available? : While the rigorous product development may have its limits, if Air India wants to become a top airline, then its hygiene problems must be forgiven. Make the seat “in-operative” and refuse to allocate it at check-in if there are complaints about damaged remote wires or non-functioning remotes. One wonders if this would result in many seats being out of service and if the route’s suitability for the deployment of such aircraft is called into question.
The argument that passengers are partly to responsible for unclean cabins and aircraft is frequently made. While this is true, individuals do not change overnight, thus the airline must have a system in place to guarantee cleaner aircraft.
Air India aspires to become a high-end airline. : It is quite likely that the B77-300ER, often referred to as the B77W, will undergo refurbishment during one of its lengthy maintenance cycles. Thirteen of those are in the airline’s fleet, and it uses them extensively for heavy lifting on its routes, mostly to locations in North America (with the exception of the lengthy trips to San Francisco, which are carried out by the B777-200LR). As of right now, the airplane has four First-class suites, thirty-three Business class seats set in rows of seven abreast, and thirty-three economy class seats organized in rows of nine abreast. An in-depth examination of the film depicting a render of the renovation by Air India indicates what the new LOPA (Layout of Passenger Amenities) is anticipated to look like.
There will be 40 seats in premium economy aboard the B777s, arranged in five rows of eight seats apiece. The airline will also keep its current configuration of one row of first class seats or four seats. There will be doors in the business class cabins, providing greater privacy and perhaps fewer peegate episodes! The arrangement appears to change from 2-3-2 to 1-2-1, with individuals in window seats having staggered seating. The business class’s capacity has also somewhat increased. The “middle seat” in business class has been eliminated, which is the main attraction here.
Even if anyone has a preference seat, the middle seat in a premium cabin is inherently the least desirable. There are now 303 economy class seats on the B77Ws. There may be room for an additional 250–260 seats after adding premium economy and increasing the number of Business class seats. The seat’s breadth will be lessened as a result, though. The seats in the contemporary cabin have an 18-inch width and a 31–33-inch seat pitch. It’s expected that the breadth will decrease to 17.05 inches.
BY HMM