In December 2025, I travelled to India to attend the Diamond Jubilee of our Regiment – 75 Medium Regiment (Basantar River.) My journey from Toronto to Delhi and onward to Kochi aboard Air India’s Boeing 777-300ER was a revealing experience – one that showcased a promising transformation still in progress.

The Tata Turnaround: A New Era Begins

After decades of political interference and red-tape, Air India’s 2023 privatisation and takeover by the Tata Group was a watershed moment. Their ambitious five-year plan to modernise the fleet and enhance customer experience is beginning to bear fruit. The operational improvements were immediately noticeable: proactive updates on email and Whatsapp about gate changes and exceptional baggage tracking across Toronto, Delhi, and Kochi provided an incredible sense of reassurance after long-haul travel.

Onboard Experience: Highlights and Missed Opportunities

Service & Hospitality: The standout feature was the cabin crew. Their service was exceptional – warm, proactive, and genuinely attentive. The welcome ritual of a hot towel and chilled orange juice set the tone for a journey marked by outstanding hospitality.

Dining: The culinary presentation and quality were impressive, easily surpassing many competitors on the Toronto-India route. The well-curated bar selection and thoughtful non-alcoholic options added a touch of sophistication. However, the rigid, religion-based meal labelling—’Hindu Non-Veg‘, ‘Vegetarian Jain‘, ‘Muslim Meal‘ – felt out of place in a modern, global airline. Simplifying categories to ‘Indian Non-Vegetarian’, ‘Vegetarian’, etc., would be more inclusive and pragmatic. After the dinner was served, I took the tomato sauce and inscribed a cross over it and converted it into a Christian meal.  Luckily for me, we were flying over the Atlantic!

Seat & Comfort: Here, the experience faltered. Despite pre-selecting my seat, I found the 2-3-2 configuration on the 777-300ER disappointingly cramped for Business Class. The middle seat strips away any sense of privacy. My own seat’s recline mechanism was faulty, with faded markings on the controls – a clear sign of deferred maintenance. While the cabin crew heroically converted it into a bed, even they couldn’t restore it for landing, necessitating a last-minute seat change. Passenger aircraft seats should be refurbished every 15-20 years; this aircraft’s cabin felt overdue.

In-Flight Entertainment: This system urgently needs an overhaul. The screen resolution was mediocre, the film library dated, and the regional language selection was woefully inadequate – just two Malayalam and one Thamizh film in a sea of Hindi cinema. For a global airline serving the diverse Indian diaspora, this is a significant oversight. No wonder the Thamizhans are up in arms against imposition of Hindi!

The Operational Reality: The Pakistan Airspace Factor

A unique operational quirk defines this route. Due to Pakistani airspace closures, Air India’s Delhi-Toronto flight takes a longer westward path via Vienna for refuelling. The return flight, however, often benefits from strong tailwinds (jet streams) and flies direct. This explains the stopover in Vienna, where passengers remain onboard for two hours, a necessary but noticeable operational constraint.

Verdict: A Strong Contender with Clear Potential

Air India’s Business Class under Tata is a compelling proposition. The core service is excellent, the food is a highlight, and the operational logistics are handled with impressive transparency. It is a marked and welcome improvement.

Would I fly it again? A definite YES, but with clear caveats. Choose your seat carefully – avoid the middle at all costs. Temper your expectations for in-flight entertainment and seat modernity. If those aspects are upgraded to match the stellar service, Air India will not just be a good choice, but a leading one.

The airline is on the right path. It feels like a phoenix still stretching its new wings – a few feathers are still settling into place, but the flight is already impressive.