Air India is introducing a new premium-economy class on its Airbus A320neo fleet, in addition to upgrading the cabins with new seats in business and economy classes. The new seating configuration in the A320neos will accommodate a total of 164 passengers across three cabin classes, with Collins Aerospace providing the new seats for Air India.
Air India has already retrofitted two of its A320neos with the new cabin layout, and the rest of the more than 40 A320neos in its fleet are set to be refitted throughout the year. These newly retrofitted aircraft are scheduled to start operating domestic flights from Delhi to Bengaluru and Chandigarh in July.
The new cabin configuration will feature two more seats than Air India’s existing two-class layout. Some of the airline’s A320neos are currently configured with a single-class layout seating between 180 and 186 passengers. This introduction of premium economy comes as part of the airline’s merger with Vistara, which also offers premium economy seats on its A320-family aircraft.
In addition to the A320neos, Air India is also implementing a retrofit programme for its widebody aircraft. The airline has already revealed the new products for premium-economy and economy classes, with Recaro supplying the new seats. While the premium-class seat supplier has not been unveiled yet, Air India is also upgrading new A350s and Boeing 777s with the latest cabin products to enhance customer experience.
Air India’s Chief Campbell Wilson stated that this comprehensive cabin refresh and introduction of premium-economy class aim to enhance the passenger experience and bring Air India in line with global standards.
