The Boeing 777-300ER flying the Melbourne route has carried an upgraded cabin since July, with eight first-class private suites, 40 fully flat business class seats and 280 seats in economy. The Boeing 787-8 on the Sydney route is due to get the same upgrade in the first quarter of 2027.

Air India has not committed to a direct Perth service, something the WA Government and Perth Airport have been pursuing for years. Perth Airport's chief commercial and aviation officer, Kate Holsgrove, joined Premier Roger Cook's investment mission to India and Vietnam in September to discuss direct flights with the carrier.

The carrier's fleet plans have been reshaped by aerospace supply chain problems since the pandemic. Air India expects to take delivery of more than 100 new aircraft over the next two years and is aiming for a total fleet of more than 400 aircraft by the end of 2028, under a five-year transformation program that includes an order for 600 new aircraft.

Air India has also launched an "Easy Connect" initiative letting passengers skip baggage collection and immigration in Delhi when making onward connections. The carrier credits part of the initiative's success to its performance on the Melbourne-Amritsar route, where its market share rose from 32 per cent to 55 per cent after Easy Connect launched for Amritsar. Air India says it holds 30 per cent of business class traffic and 24 per cent of overall market share on Australian routes.