Thales and Air India debut region’s first new 787-9 aircraft flying with Thales’ AVANT Up Inflight Entertainment System

• Air India’s new 787-9 is equipped with Thales’ AVANT Up Inflight Entertainment (IFE). Air India is the first carrier in the Asia Pacific region to fly with Thales’ AVANT Up solution.
• The first in the carrier’s order of 6 new 787-9 aircraft is unveiled at Wings India 2026 (28-31 January).
• The IFE system features a vast catalogue of content showcased on stunning 4K HDR touchscreens, along with 60W USB-C and USB-A fast charging for customer devices, and the ability to pair a Bluetooth device.

The future of Indian aviation takes flight with the entry into service of Air India’s new 787-9 aircraft equipped with Thales’s AVANT Up inflight entertainment (IFE) platform on 1 February 2026. Air India, the country’s leading global airline and largest international carrier, continues to elevate its passenger experience with 6 new 787-9 aircraft equipped with AVANT Up.

World-class Inflight Entertainment

Air India is introducing the next generation of Vista, its award-winning IFE system to elevate the passenger viewing experience. The system on the new 787-9 features over 3,000 hours of content and the largest library of Indian entertainment available in multiple languages. Vista, powered by Thales’ AVANT Up IFE, combines state-of-the art hardware and software technologies including:

• Ultra-responsive Optiq 4K QLED HDR displays designed to provide the most cinematic viewing experience in the air;
• Thales’ award-winning Pulse dynamic power supply enabling up to 60W of in-screen USB-A and USB-C high-speed charging;
• Bluetooth® connection to pair wireless headphones or other devices to the display;
• Interactive 3D map and immersive route-based programming;
• Intuitive user interface (UI) and Kids UI.

“As we embark on this exciting new chapter with our state-of-the-art 787-9, we’re thrilled to offer our passengers an unparalleled inflight experience. By integrating Thales’ cutting-edge AVANT Up system, we are enhancing the comfort and entertainment on board but also showcasing the warmth and hospitality that Air India is known for. This milestone is a significant step forward in our commitment to leading the future of Indian aviation, offering our customers the best of technology and Indian culture in the sky.” Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India.

“We are proud to support Air India’s customer-centric modernisation journey and bring extraordinary inflight experiences onboard, showcasing the best of India to the world. AVANT Up flying on ​ the airline’s new 787-9 marks a new chapter in our long-standing collaboration. Together, we are elevating the standards for entertainment in the sky, by combining world-class technology with the warmth of Indian hospitality.” Niels Steenstrup, Chief Executive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies in advanced for the Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

About Thales in India

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs. Thales significantly contributes to the growth of India’s aviation sector. Thales provides avionics and IFE systems for many Indian civil aircraft. It also provides solutions to enhance airport security and is working on an advanced UTM system for drone operations. The Group has also established an MRO facility in Gurugram to provide comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to Indian airlines.

Recent images of Thales and its Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital activities can be found on the Thales Media Library. For any specific requests, please contact the Media Relations team.

Press Contacts

Global - ​ pressroom@thalesgroup.com

India - Pawandeep Kaur - pawandeep.kaur@thalesgroup.com; ​ +91 99900 98828