Three classes but little space, no ife, no wifi: Air India's lame revolution on short haul

There is no mention of an inflight entertainment system, nor of wi-fi, in the statement with which Air India announced that it has completed theUpgrades of the first two A320neo with a new internal configuration.

The two aircraft have three classes of service with 8 seats in Business 2-2, 24 seats in Premium Economy 3-3 and 132 seats in Economy, also 3-3.

The announcement follows the commissioning of the first Airbus A350-900s which also feature completely new three-class interiors than seen before on Air India, and the start of upgrades in the same direction on the Boeing 777-300ERs the carrier has in its fleet.

As explained many times, in a few years from now Air India will be an entirely new company inside, thanks to the new cabins, and outside, thanks to the new livery.

Remaining with the short- and medium-haul fleet, which now consists of 10 Airbus A319s, 9 Airbus A320ceo, 46 Airbus A320neo, 13 Airbus A321ceo and 4 Airbus A321neo, the three-cabin configuration (which will be extended to all aircraft already in the fleet within a year), Is a rather modest make up. (Photo Anna Zvereva Wikimedia Commons)

Of course, the Indian carrier By doing so, it standardizes the in-flight experience on short and medium haul to what passengers will experience in the future on long haul. But the absence of an entertainment system and wifi does not enrich it, considering the fact that some Indian domestic flights last as long as three hours and that A320s and A321s are also used on regional routes.

Moreover, even leg space appears rather sacrificed: at Business Class passengers will have at their disposal 40 inches (102cm), which is what some competitor airlines such as Emirates offer in their premium economy. In the latter, the legroom is just 32 inches (81cm), which is what we would expect in a very common Economy, while in Economy the space is at the level of that offered by low-cost airlines: 28-29 inches, or 71-73cm.

Otherwise, the seating arrangements (in all classes) include. a holder for personal electronic devices and a USB port for charging them. Currently, the new cabins are available on some daily rotations Between Delhi and Bengalore and between Delhi and Chandigarh (a city in the north of the country).

Exactly one year ago, Air India had placed an order with Airbus (part of A larger order for 470 airplanes) which also includes 140 A320 neo and 70A321neo, which will all arrive in the fleet with the three-class service configuration.

• A320