30,000 Parts Were Needed To Make Air India’s Grounded Boeing 787s Airworthy

The airline is carrying out a massive fleet transformation plan.

Air India's fleet structure is a lot different today than what it was just a couple of years ago. Several of its planes, both widebody and narrowbody, were gathering dust at airports because the company didn't have enough funds to get the parts needed to fly them again.

With the Tatas in the picture, the funding issue was resolved, and the planes were swiftly given a new lease on life. But the airline's CEO recently told at an event just how much was required to make the airline's grounded Dreamliners airworthy again.

At the IATA AGM in Istanbul, Air India's Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson spoke about the challenges of getting the carrier's grounded Boeing 787 fleet back in the air. His answer was in response to a question about the current supply-chain issues, and he explained how many spare parts were required to make Air India's several 787s airworthy again, adding,

"We’re noticing it most acutely because we had 13 [Boeing] 787s grounded for many years as a consequence of Air India not having the funds to pay for spare parts, [so it was] robbing aircraft to keep others flying. There were 30,000 spare parts we needed to procure to get these aircraft up and running."

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Air India's aircraft saw significant neglect when it was a state-run carrier. Mounting debt and poor finances meant that its network was affected due to its grounded fleet. The planes that were flying also had substandard cabins, with passengers often complaining of poor in-flight experience, especially on long-haul flights.

But that is changing now. Not only will the airline have 70 new aircraft by March next year, but many of its planes will also have refurbished interiors or be in the process of being retrofitted. Air India has set aside $400 million to improve the structural conditions of its planes, and the older aircraft will have their interiors completely removed and replaced with new ones. The plan is that by mid-2025, all of Air India's twin-aisle planes will offer new cabins with onboard WiFi.

The need for reliable and efficient MRO capabilities is also not lost on Air India. Wilson says that they need to have a bit more capability in-house. The airline uses Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) for its maintenance needs and has also built its own engineering capabilities since becoming a private player.

The carrier also reached an agreement to set up a new Engineering Warehouse near Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). As per the plan, the facility, which will be more than 55,000 square feet, is expected to be operational in the coming days.

Check out more Indian aviation news here.

Furthermore, it is also keen on acquiring the government-owned (AIESL). Industry sources say that a majority of Air India's engineering needs are fulfilled by AIESL, and acquiring the MRO company as part of developing Air India's in-house engineering capabilities seems like a good idea.

In fact, the airline could partner with Lufthansa Technik and Air France-KLM's engineering department to bid for AIESL. Singapore Airlines will also likely join the consortium through SIA Engineering Company Limited.

What are your views on this? Please leave a comment below.

With a background in publishing and digital media, Gaurav likes to combine his love for aviation with his fondness for storytelling. He's a keen observer of ever-changing aviation trends around the world and particularly in India. Gaurav also keeps a close eye on the fleet development of all major carriers and their subsequent impact on regional and international routes. Based in New Delhi, India.