Passengers are complaining nonstop about broken seats, faulty remotes, broken in-flight screens, and unclean conditions. A few viral reels, videos, or social media posts criticizing the caliber of Air India’s aircraft have surfaced in the past few days. In the most recent one, a passenger on an Air India B777 who paid Rs4.5 lakh to travel from Canada to Delhi lodged a complaint regarding the seats and general condition of the facilities. Another customer of Air India’s recently launched service from Mumbai to Melbourne had complained in December about a number of issues, including the hard and soft product.
What issue does Air India have?
A quick glance at social media reveals a plethora of complaints, particularly regarding the Economy class. These complaints range from issues with hard products like broken seats, malfunctioning remote controls, and IFE screens to issues with cleanliness and customer service. An intriguing finding from the complaint is that, although the number of people in economy class appears to be increasing, the number of people in the front cabin has decreased significantly. 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 legacy fleet receive its just reward, and what obstacles are standing in the way, as the Tatas near the anniversary of their takeover of Air India?
Why are there more grievances against Air India?
Upon assuming control of Air India, the Tata group discovered that several of its aircraft were grounded due to inadequate maintenance, which was caused by a shortage of funding. The group first began going back to its earlier destinations after pumping money and getting the planes into service. It then increased the frequency of those trips and added new links, such as that to Melbourne from Mumbai.
The plane’s IFE and seats are outdated, and years of subpar maintenance combined with problems with the supply chain have left them in less than ideal condition. The Tatas have collaborated with their group companies to even replace traditional parts that are no longer available 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 for the time being, there are still problems with IFE that cannot be fixed or the drain is too great to be filled. When might one anticipate a Tatas change?
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 seats will be installed in each cabin, along with updated in-flight entertainment systems and Wi-Fi internet access.
It is anticipated that the exercise will conclude by the end of 2025, meaning that more than two aircraft will begin to be delivered refurbished in the latter part of this year. The airline projects that 33% of its widebody fleet will be upgraded by March 2024. It is possible that it will witness six A350s (one of which is in India), five B77Ls that were formerly part of Delta’s fleet and are currently in service, and B77Ws that are part of Etihad and Singapore Airlines.
