Earlier this year, Air India took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 aircraft, configured to the airline’s requirements and standards. This one is registered VT-AWA. From there, the second aircraft was also delivered, registered VT-AWB. These planes were sent to fly between Mumbai and Frankfurt through the end of June 2026. Now, there is a new assignment for them.
Air India’s 787-9s are now on the Mumbai – London Heathrow route
After months of anticipation, Air India has begun deploying its factory-fresh Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on one of its most important international routes. The airline has started operating its newest widebody aircraft regularly, marking another milestone in Air India’s ongoing fleet transformation.
Air India’s new Boeing 787-9
The introduction of the aircraft is significant because these are the first Boeing 787s ever built specifically for Air India under the Tata Group era. While the airline inherited a fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from its previous ownership and subsequently received a number of Boeing 787-9s following the merger with Vistara, these are the first line-fit aircraft delivered directly from Boeing’s production line with Air India’s completely redesigned cabins installed from day one.
These aircraft represent the template for the airline’s future Dreamliner fleet. The same cabin products will eventually make their way onto Air India’s legacy Boeing 787-8 fleet as retrofit work progresses over the coming years, giving passengers a much more consistent experience regardless of which Dreamliner they board.
Air India had first announced earlier this year that Mumbai-Heathrow would become the launch route for the new Boeing 787-9, replacing the Boeing 777-300ERs that had been operating the sector. Since then, the airline has gradually inducted additional aircraft, allowing it to begin regular deployment on the route.
Mumbai-Heathrow gets Air India’s newest product
Effective July 1, 2026, Air India’s daily flights AI130 and AI131 between Mumbai and London Heathrow are being operated by the airline’s newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
The aircraft feature a three-class layout with 296 seats comprising 30 Business Class suites, 28 Premium Economy seats and 238 Economy Class seats. Unlike Air India’s older Dreamliners, these aircraft introduce an entirely new premium experience across all cabins.
Business Class now features fully enclosed suites in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access for every passenger. Each suite converts into a fully flat bed and comes equipped with wireless charging, multiple storage areas, Bluetooth audio connectivity and a 17-inch 4K entertainment screen.
Air India 787s Business Class
Premium Economy, which has become an increasingly important part of Air India’s international strategy, offers 28 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration with greater recline, dedicated leg and calf rests, generous seat pitch and 13.3-inch entertainment displays. Economy Class also receives brand-new RECARO seats along with upgraded inflight entertainment screens and USB-C charging throughout the cabin.
Across all cabins, passengers will find Thales’ latest AVANT Up inflight entertainment platform, Bluetooth audio pairing, USB-C charging, refreshed cabin lighting and significantly improved interior finishes compared to Air India’s older widebody fleet.
More than just a new aircraft
For Air India, this deployment is about far more than simply introducing another aircraft type.
London Heathrow remains one of the airline’s most strategically important long-haul markets, and Mumbai is one of its largest international gateways. Deploying the newest aircraft here allows Air India to showcase its latest onboard product on a route that attracts a healthy mix of premium business travellers, VFR traffic and leisure passengers.
The move also continues Air India’s strategy of progressively replacing legacy products on its flagship international routes. Delhi-London Heathrow already sees Airbus A350 operations, while Mumbai-Heathrow now joins the list of routes receiving the airline’s newest long-haul cabins. As additional Boeing 787-9s arrive and the retrofit programme gathers pace, passengers should see the upgraded cabins spread across more destinations over the next few years.
Bottomline
Air India’s latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has now entered regular service on the Mumbai-London Heathrow route, bringing the airline’s newest Business Class suites, Premium Economy cabin and upgraded Economy experience to one of its flagship international services.
More importantly, these aircraft represent what Air India’s future long-haul fleet will increasingly look like. As more factory-fresh Dreamliners arrive and existing 787-8s undergo refurbishment, passengers can expect a much more consistent premium experience across the airline’s Boeing widebody operations.
What do you think about London Heathrow getting all the good planes?
Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.
(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)
We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.
Now only if they could magically also leave on time.