Air India (AI, Delhi International) will block 18 economy class seats and restrict the functionality of its business class seats when it debuts the newly delivered B787-9 on February 1, 2026, the Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported.

The airline continues to wrangle with certification issues affecting the new seating installed on its first line-fit B787-9. A spokesperson told the news agency that all 30 of its business class suites will operate with the sliding doors blocked in the open position, as the solution has yet to be certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The 18 blocked seats in economy class will be unavailable due to uncertainty related to some regulatory requirements.

"The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular operation on many airlines worldwide; however, there is a regulatory interpretation affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working with the manufacturer and regulator to resolve. The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification is received," the spokesperson said.

Air India's new B787-9s will be configured for up to 296 passengers in a three-class layout, including 30 business class, 28 premium economy, and 238 economy class seats (of which only 220 will be sold immediately).

The airline operates six B787-9s inherited from Vistara which are not affected by the issue and have a different configuration for up to 299 passengers. The first line-fit unit in the new configuration, VT-AWA (msn 69263), was delivered in late 2025 and is due to debut revenue service on February 1, on the Delhi International-Frankfurt International route.

Air India expects to take three more line-fit B787-9s in 2026.

The carrier also operates 26 legacy B787-8s, which are undergoing retrofits but are not affected by the certification snafus.