Sachin Tendulkar says Air India flight gave him ‘new car feeling’, airline responds ‘Master Blaster’ with witty reply

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Air India after travelling on one of the airline’s retrofitted aircraft, saying the upgraded cabin gave him a “new car feeling”.Sachin Tendulkar said he felt a ‘new car feeling’ inside Air India’s retrofitted aircraft.(Also read: Air India clarifies on ‘no bindi’ policy for crew with same argument as Lenskart)Taking to X, Tendulkar wrote, “Experienced the ‘new car feeling’ in a retrofitted airplane today…Safe to say, I spent more time looking around the cabin than out the window. Thanks to the Air India crew for a lovely morning.”Take a look here at the post:His post quickly caught attention on the platform and has garnered more than 200,000 views on X.Air India responds with cricket twAir India also responded to Tendulkar’s post with a cricket-themed reply. Taking to X, the airline wrote, “Safe to say the retrofit hit the middle of the bat. Looking forward to seeing you on our pitch again soon, Master Blaster.”Check out the post here:The exchange drew reactions from social media users, with many appreciating both Tendulkar’s post and the airline’s witty response.One user wrote, “When Sachin Tendulkar notices the cabin more than the clouds, the upgrade must be special.” Another commented, “Air India really used the perfect cricket reference here.” A third said, “Master Blaster approving the new cabin is a big moment.” Another user reacted, “This is the kind of passenger experience improvement people wanted to see.” A user added, “Now this is how you combine aviation and cricket nostalgia.” Another wrote, “Good to see Air India moving towards a better flying experience.”(Also read: Japanese YouTuber faces backlash for ‘packed with Indians’ Air India flight vlog: ‘If you have problem, then don’t come’)Inside Air India’s retrofit programmeEarlier, according to Air India’s press release, the airline unveiled its first retrofitted twin-aisle B787-8 aircraft, regered VT-ANT. The development marked the completion of a full nose-to-tail cabin refresh of the first aircraft among 26 B787 planes planned under the retrofit programme.As part of the upgrade, the aircraft interiors were completely reconfigured. The plane has moved from its earlier two-class layout to a modern three-class configuration, with brand-new seats and a new inflight entertainment system.The retrofit brings the aircraft in line with Air India’s latest widebody product standards, similar to those seen on its new bespoke Boeing 787-9, which was inducted in January 2026.(Also read: ‘I was quite nervous but…’: Manipur doctor saves woman struggling to breathe on Tokyo-Delhi Air India flight)Exterior also gets a new lookThe aircraft’s exterior also received a complete makeover. A 20-member special team reportedly spent more than 5,700 hours across 18 days stripping the old livery and applying the new Air India colours.