I went on Air India’s brand new Airbus A350 that will soon be flying to the US. I was impressed by the airline’s transformation.

This jet has mostly been flying on the short-haul Delhi to Mumbai route — essentially a test run that will no longer be served by the A350 from August 31. It has also flown to Dubai several times.

During a summit at the airshow, CEO Campbell Wilson said Air India has 30 aircraft that are grounded because they need spare parts, which the former owner didn’t have enough money to provide.

“So we’re robbing parts off other aircraft to keep the remaining fleet flying,” he added.

Wilson said a lot of the airline’s work “has been about rehabilitating those aircraft into a flyworthy state and bringing in new aircraft with a modern product.”

He added that 80% of Air India’s fleet should meet modern standards by next April.

“Representing the new India, and the quality thereof, is well on pace,” Wilson said.

Air India’s old business class looked more like premium economy in a 2-3-2 layout. Now, it’s configured in a classic 1-2-1 formation, so everyone has direct aisle access. The suites also have sliding doors and dividers for privacy.

Wilson highlighted India’s growing middle class, so it makes sense that the airline needs a better premium product.

However, this design was actually supposed to be for Aeroflot. Sanctions prevented Airbus from delivering them to the Russian airline, allowing Air India to acquire six A350-900s quicker than usual.

The footwells were roomy, and I enjoyed testing out the buttons that automatically changed the seat position. Air India’s old business class would only slope downwards rather than lie totally flat.

This picture also shows a small remote for the in-flight entertainment, below buttons for the lamp and seating positions.

Flicking through the options on the 21-inch screen, I saw mostly Bollywood films, but there were also numerous ones from the West. I also saw Taylor Swift albums and some games.

I always enjoy seeing these periodicals. Maybe it’s just because I’m a reporter, but you could find plenty of new destinations that you might not have previously considered.

You can usually find snacks as well as such alcoholic beverages as Johnnie Walker Black Label and Grey Goose.

There were 24 seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Air India’s premium economy comes with a hot towel and welcome drink upon boarding, noise-canceling headphones, and amenities from Tumi.

However, I was surprised that there wasn’t a footrest — it felt a bit weird using the legrest without one.

The screen was only about an inch larger than in economy.

Some A350 jets can fit 10 abreast so airlines can maximize capacity, but nine abreast means a smaller chance of being stuck in the dreaded middle seat.

Air India says the 264 economy seats are 17.52 inches wide, which is about average for the industry.

The pitch — or distance between the same spot on a seat and the one in front of it — is 31 inches. It’s the same as Air India’s older Boeing 777 jets.

This is relatively common on major airlines nowadays. When BI’s Taylor Rains flew economy on an old Air India Boeing 777, she found the headrest was broken.

Flights to Newark start on January 2, while a route to London Heathrow begins on September 1.

Flights from Delhi to New York take around 15 hours, while the journey time to London is just under 10 hours.

The network is likely to expand, too. “The opportunity now is for India to build an aviation hub,” Wilson said at the airshow.

He highlighted how India is geographically situated similar to “the superconducting airlines in the Gulf and elsewhere.”