Air India has secured the prestigious Skytrax 4-Star airline rating for both Business Class and Economy Class, marking a major milestone in the airline’s ongoing transformation journey under its Vihaan.AI programme.
The rating upgrade from 3-Star to 4-Star reflects the airline’s large-scale transformation across fleet modernisation, customer service, onboard products, digital infrastructure, airport experience, and operational efficiency.
Transformation drives customer experience gains
The Tata Group-owned airline said the latest recognition highlights sustained improvements across multiple customer touchpoints as it works towards becoming a world-class global carrier.
Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Campbell Wilson said, “This 4-Star rating from Skytrax is an important recognition of the progress we have made in transforming Air India into a more modern, customer-focused airline. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of over 24,000 Air India employees who have embraced this transformation with commitment and pride.”
He added, “While this milestone reflects how far we have come, it also strengthens our resolve to continue raising the bar, with a clear ambition to achieve a 5-Star rating in due course as we build a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.”
Customer sentiment improves sharply
Air India said its transformation efforts have translated into stronger customer feedback and advocacy scores. The airline’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key metric measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty, has improved by more than 70 points, rising from -35 in late 2022 to nearly +40 currently. On Air India’s flagship Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the airline said NPS levels consistently remain in the high 60s.
Skytrax, regarded globally as a leading aviation rating agency, evaluates airlines across the entire customer journey including airport processes, lounges, onboard products, food and beverage quality, and service consistency.
Fleet modernisation remains central to strategy
Air India said fleet upgrades remain a core pillar of its transformation strategy. The airline has inducted India’s first Airbus A350 aircraft and introduced new Boeing 787-9 aircraft featuring redesigned Air India interiors. It has also completed the retrofit and return-to-service of 27 Airbus A320neo aircraft with upgraded cabin interiors.
Additionally, retrofit work is underway for nearly 40 legacy Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline said its upgraded fleet has now crossed 120 aircraft, accounting for nearly 66% of its full-service fleet.
Airport and onboard experience revamped
Air India has also revamped its airport and lounge experience with redesigned lounges in Delhi, Bengaluru and San Francisco, while additional lounges are planned globally.
The carrier has introduced improvements such as self-service check-ins, streamlined boarding processes, and enhanced digital tools to improve passenger convenience.
Onboard, Air India has retrained all cabin crew members under its new service framework and inducted over 5,000 new cabin crew personnel.
The airline has also refreshed inflight meals, beverages, bedding and amenities, while expanding entertainment offerings with over 3,000 hours of content available on new and upgraded widebody aircraft.
Digital overhaul strengthens customer support
Air India said its digital transformation programme has delivered significant improvements in customer support and operational responsiveness.
The airline launched a redesigned website and mobile application, while also implementing a unified digital support platform powered by a generative AI chatbot handling over 14 million customer interactions.
The transformation has also helped reduce customer contact centre wait times to nearly 10 seconds while enabling faster refunds and issue resolution.
Focus remains on global expansion
Air India said it will continue strengthening its global network, customer experience, and operational capabilities as part of its broader Vihaan.AI roadmap.
The airline added that it remains focused on setting new benchmarks for Indian aviation globally while pursuing its long-term ambition of securing a Skytrax 5-Star airline rating