Air India has received approval from India’s civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to modify its aircraft interiors internally.
On October 28, 2024, the carrier announced that it had obtained Design Organization Approval (DOA) under CAR 21 which allows the airline to make design changes and modify its aircraft interiors on its own.
Air India said it is the first airline in India to attain this level of authorization, accelerating its ability to execute restoration tasks for continuous improvement of its fleet.
“India’s aviation sector is on a growth trajectory and Air India is playing a leading role in it,” said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India. “The approval reaffirms our capabilities to maintain our fleet and commitment to enhance customer experience of our aircraft interiors.”
On October 25, 2024, D.C. Sharma, Director General of DGCA, presented the approval to Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, in the presence of other senior officials of Air India and DGCA.
Air India had previously announced that it had partnered with Tada Technologies, a global engineering and product development digital services company, to improve the interiors of its aircraft in line with CAR 21 regulations for aircraft changes.
“Our partnership with Air India represents a significant step forward in redefining air travel experiences through innovation and strategic engineering,” said Warren Harris, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Technologies.
The DOA marks an important move to improve Air India’s internal skills. The airline plans to create its own engineering, maintenance, and training centers, stating that this will boost its operational efficiency and make the airline become more self-reliant.