Although 2026 has only just begun, Air India is early out of the gate with the first of many new business class suites we expect to see this year (not counting a sneak preview of Emirates’ 777X business class).
This weekend saw the Star Alliance member take delivery of a factory-fresh Boeing 787-9 – the longer-range version of the 787-8 jets it’s been flying since 2012 – crowned by doored private business class suites.
However, those aren’t the seats initially promised in 2022 as part of the ambitious Project Vihaan (named after the Sanskrit word for dawn), which were based on the popular Safran Unity model as shown below.
Air India’s original Project Vihaan business class seat has yet to appear…
Instead, Air India’s newest Dreamliners – and refits of the older 787-8 models – are rolling out a customised version of the Elevate Ascent.
Air India’s new Boeing 787 business class.
This is the same flatbed doored direct-aisle-access 787 suite already flown by Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, and later this year United Airlines.
United Airlines’ version of the 787 Ascent business class seat.
We don’t yet know all the finer details: while USB-C power outlets are certain to be present, did wireless device charging make the cut?
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had described Project Vihaan as a “total transformation”, anchored by new branding to reflect an “ambition to make Air India a world class airline serving guests from around the globe.”
It’s part of a sweeping reinvention of Air India under new owners Tata Group, which ironically founded the airline in 1932, only to see it nationalised in 1953.
The airline expects additional Boeing 787-9s and its first two Airbus A350-1000 jets to arrive across 2026, with more than half of the twin-aisle fleet upgraded with new interiors by year’s end.
Air India’s new livery and logo.
As previously reported, Air India is keen to mount more flights to Australia, which Wilson says holds “plenty of untapped potential.”
“Clearly there’s a huge amount of opportunity to grow, not just in terms of frequency, but certainly in respect of city coverage,” Wilson told an airline industry conference in Brisbane in 2025.
“We see a significant opportunity with the Indian diaspora, and Australia is ranked, I think, in the top three of the markets Indians want to travel to.”
“As soon as we get aircraft, we would like to put more into Australia, absolutely,” Wilson added.
Air India and rival IndiGo could also be poised to begin flights to the new Western Sydney International (WSI) airport, due to open at the end of 2026.
Speaking with The Hindu, Destination NSW’s Country Manager for India, Samar Chokshi, said “discussions are on with Air India and IndiGo to operate direct flights to this airport once they get new aircraft.”
Travel to Australia from India was “growing exponentially, in high double digits,” Chokshi noted – and in common with worldwide trends, there’s also been a “dramatic shift” into premium cabins.
As a result, airlines “are investing a lot more in the front of the aircraft in the products, and updating the products and experiences in the front and catering to Indian dietary needs.”
