The aircraft, also the first custom-built Dreamliner to join the Air India fleet after its acquisition by the Tata Group in January 2022, will enter commercial service on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1.
The aircraft has 296 seats, of which 30 are business class, 28 are premium economy and 238 are economy class seats. Of these, 18 economy class seats will not be available for use until the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) gives its approval, the sources told PTI.
In a statement to PTI, an airline spokesperson said the new B787-9 will commence commercial operations on February 1, with certain restrictions.
“The privacy sliding doors in our business class suites remain securely fixed in the open position and are not available for passenger use as this specific seat feature awaits regulatory approval. We expect to receive the necessary approval in the near future. All other seat features are available for passenger use,” the spokesperson said.
In addition, a total of 18 specific Economy Class seats have been blocked from sale and also physically blocked from use.
“The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular use on many airlines around the world; however, there is an interpretation of the regulations affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working to resolve with the manufacturer and regulator.
“The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification has been received,” the spokesperson said.
When contacted via email, an FAA spokesperson told PTI, “We do not comment on ongoing certification work.”
There was no comment from Boeing.
Five more widebody aircraft – three Boeing 787-9s and two A350-1000s – will join Air India’s fleet in 2026. The airline currently has 188 aircraft and the older Boeing 787s are being gradually renovated.
According to the spokesperson, the product restrictions due to ongoing certification only apply to the new B787-9 aircraft, and not to the retrofitted B787-8 aircraft.
These are two different variants, and their interior furnishings undergo a separate certification process. Certifications for seats and features on the B787-8 have been completed and approved by the relevant regulators and will be available for customer use, the spokesperson added.
The sources also said that some global airlines are awaiting certain regulatory approvals for their business class seats. This includes Lufthansa, which is awaiting regulatory approval for some business class seats on its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, they added.
Currently, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s – 26 older Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.
In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s.
Published on January 24, 2026
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