Air India to upgrade avionics, critical components of Dreamliners

Sun, 10 August 2025

21:41

Air India on Sunday said it will upgrade the avionics and other critical components of its 26 legacy B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft to reduce operational disruptions as well as improve overall reliability.

In recent times, the airline has faced operational issues with some of its planes, including the Dreamliner.

Air India's Dreamliners -- 26 legacy 787-8s and seven 787-9s -- had undergone checks, including that of fuel switches, after the fatal crash of a London Gatwick-bound 787-8 plane soon after take off from Ahmedabad that killed 260 people on June 12.

Under the USD 400 million fleet retrofit programme announced in December 2022, the Tata Group-owned airline has now started the retrofit of the first legacy Dreamliner, which was flown to a Boeing facility in Victorville, California in July 2025.

"A second aircraft is scheduled to depart for the same facility in October 2025, with both expected to return to service in December 2025," the carrier said in a statement on Sunday.

As part of a Reliability Enhancement Programme, the airline said it will be upgrading the avionics and other critical components of the 26 legacy B787-8 aircraft up to the latest industry standards, thus improving their reliability.

"The programme entails the analysis of maintenance and configuration records for these aircraft, followed by the implementation of recommended modifications based on Boeing's service information bulletins.

"This is intended to reduce operational disruptions for both Air India and its customers," the statement said.

Additionally, the airline said seven of the 26 B787-8s will undergo heavy, scheduled maintenance (D-checks) at Victorville, ensuring the fleet's long-term operational excellence. -- PTI

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