Air India is widening the reach of its refurbished Boeing 787 fleet in the Northern winter 2026/27 season, adding several Mumbai international services to the list of routes flown by reconfigured aircraft. The schedule update, published by AeroRoutes, shows the retrofitted twinjets spreading from the airline's flagship long-haul services into shorter regional widebody markets as well.
From 25 October 2026, the 250-seat Boeing 787-8 is scheduled to operate Mumbai to Dubai as AI909/910, initially twice weekly and rising to three weekly from 7 December 2026. The same variant takes over Mumbai to London Heathrow, flight numbers AI129/128, also from 25 October. A third 787-8 route follows later in the season, with Mumbai to Tokyo Haneda listed for five weekly reconfigured services from 1 February 2027.
The larger 278-seat Boeing 787-9 also features in the Mumbai plan. From 25 October, it is scheduled on Mumbai to Dubai as AI983/984 once daily, and on selected AI909/910 rotations twice weekly, meaning the Gulf route sees both retrofitted sub-types during the season.
Upgauges beyond the retrofit programme
Separately, Air India is increasing capacity on a handful of international routes that had not previously been covered in schedule filings. Delhi to Dubai is set to be flown by the 345-seat Boeing 777-300ER from 25 October on AI915/916 and on selected AI929/930 services, a significant step up on one of the airline's densest short-haul international corridors.
Two further routes move from narrowbody to widebody equipment. Delhi to Manila is scheduled to be operated by a 259-seat Boeing 787-8 once daily from 25 October, replacing the Airbus A321neo. Mumbai to Mauritius follows the same pattern from 1 January 2027, with a 259-seat 787-8 taking over from the A321neo on a daily basis.
Why the retrofit matters
Air India's cabin retrofit programme has been one of the most closely watched projects in the airline's transformation since its return to private ownership. The carrier inherited a widebody fleet with inconsistent and, in places, badly worn interiors, and the reconfigured 787s are the visible result of putting those aircraft through a heavy interior refresh. Deploying them on Heathrow and Tokyo services is a natural fit for a premium-heavy long-haul market, but placing them on Dubai is a more pointed move: the Gulf corridor is intensely competitive, and cabin quality is one of the few levers available on a short widebody hop.
The Boeing 787 remains the backbone of Air India's medium and long-haul international network. The type's twin-aisle cabin, composite airframe and range flexibility allow the airline to mix eight-hour Heathrow rotations with sub-four-hour Gulf sectors using the same fleet, which is precisely what the winter schedule shows.
The changes take effect with the start of the Northern winter 2026/27 season on 25 October 2026, with the Tokyo Haneda and Mauritius adjustments arriving later in the season. As always with seasonal filings, the schedules are subject to change before departure.
Sources: AeroRoutes. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By James Holloway.
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