RECARO Aircraft Seating has partnered with Air India to bring a new experience to passengers around the world. Originally announced in 2024, the first of Air India’s newly linefit B787-9 multiclass cabins will take to the skies on February 1 2026, featuring PL3530 Premium Economy seating and the CL3710 Economy Class seating options from RECARO.
The move comes as part of Air India’s transformation efforts to deliver a world‑class flying experience.
The new B787‑9 cabin has been carefully curated to bring step‑change improvements in comfort, privacy, and usability. The RECARO PL3530 and CL3710 seats form a core element of Air India’s commitment to elevating long‑haul travel, offering a more restful, intuitive, and personalised experience for guests across cabin classes.
In the Premium cabin, passengers will find the PL3530 installed.
Recaro PL3530 in the Boeing 787-9 Cabin – Image, Air India/Recaro Aircraft Seating.
Passengers in the Premium cabin will enjoy a generous seven-inch recline at a 38-inch pitch. To support various seating positions in flight, the PL3530 feature a calf rest and leg rest with three locking positions for extended comfort. Seats also feature 13.3-inch monitors and USB-A and USB-C connectivity throughout the cabin in line with customers’ modern travel needs.
Recaro PL3530 in full recline position – Image, Air India/Reacro Aircraft Seating
In Economy Class, passengers will experience a comfortable recline of five inches at both a 31 and 32-inch pitch and comfort cushions for added ergonomic support. To increase seating comfort, the CL3710 features the patented six-way adjustable headrest with built-in neck support. Seats are outfitted with 11.6-inch monitors and seat-back USB-A and USB-C connectivity.
Recaro CL3710s in Economy Class aboard Air India’s new Boeing 787-9 – Image, Air India/Recaro.
Additionally, all aisle seats include the RECARO-founded cabin crew step for easier overhead bin access for passengers and crew.
In Quotes
Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India, said:
“Keeping the comfort and safety of our guests paramount, we have invested in designing and delivering a truly world‑class travel experience. Our new product features ergonomic seating with generous legroom, modern amenities including USB charging ports and bottle holders, as well as advanced safety enhancements. Our focus is to ensure every guest arrives feeling refreshed, relaxed, and well cared for, an ethos reflected in the design rigour and attention to detail behind every aspect of our service and product development. Teams from Air India and RECARO have worked meticulously to deliver a truly outstanding product,”
In the main announcement, Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, adds
“The arrival of this new Boeing 787-9, the first production widebody from the 470 aircraft-strong order signed three years ago, is a significant moment in Air India’s 5-year Vihaan.AI transformation programme. Though nearly 100 new and leased aircraft have already joined the Air India group’s fleet since privatisation, this is the first to be designed by and for Air India. It underscores Air India’s commitment to delivering a world-class physical product and inflight entertainment experience to complement the warm Indian hospitality already delivered by our crew.”
“The new cabin interiors on this aircraft will soon become the standard across our entire Boeing 787 fleet as, in addition to 19 more production aircraft, all 26 of Air India’s existing Boeing 787-8 aircraft are being retrofitted with the same new cabin interiors and entertainment systems. The retrofit programme is well underway, with the first upgraded aircraft due to return to service in the coming weeks and the remainder of the fleet by mid-2027.”
Dr Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding, concluded:
“Since our initial announcement in 2024, the RECARO and Air India teams have been in close collaboration to bring premium comfort to passengers through this outstanding partnership,”
“Both the PL3530 and our award-winning CL3710 offer premium comfort, elevate the passenger experience, of the Air India B787-9 fleet”.
Building on change
Air India has been working through a modernisation and upgrade programme since the airline went back under the control of the TATA group in 2022. There have been other works in the programmes – from cabin upgrades, system upgrades and of course new orders of aircraft.
This is shown with the commitment to new products also making their way aboard, from the Premium Economy and Economy by Recaro, to the Elevate Ascent (ex Aident Aerospace), which will feature as the airline’s business class product, with IFE for the aircraft provided by Thales and its AVANT platform.
Air India Elevate Ascent Seat in Business Class – Image, Air India
With a competitive configuration of 30 business class, 28 Premium economy and 232 Economy Class seats, Air India will be seeking to capitalise on its investment in passenger experience.
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