Mallika Dureja
Air india: The order consists of 210 Airbus A320/31Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, as well as 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777-9s. Rolls-Royce engines will be installed on A350 aircraft, while GE Aerospace engines will be installed on B777/787 aircraft. CFM International engines will be installed in every single-aisle plane.
Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, remarked, “AI is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network, and human resources. In order to complete this shift, a modern, energy-efficient fleet is crucial. In its Vihaan.AI transformation programme, Air India aspires to provide a world-class proposition serving international travellers with an Indian heart, and this order is a significant step towards realising that ambition. The Airline’s fleet and in-flight service will be upgraded and its global reach will be greatly increased with the addition of these new planes. This order will not only accelerate the development of the Indian aviation ecosystem, but it will also create unprecedented opportunities for professionals working in the field of aviation in India. AI Announces Intent to Acquire Modern Aircraft The first of the new planes won’t join the fleet until late 2023, and the rest won’t arrive until sometime in 2025. In the meantime, Air India has begun receiving 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 planes, which will allow the company to rapidly expand its fleet and service area.
AI is committed towards its transformation journey. As a part of the same, we are celebrating the order of 470 aircraft with @Airbus @BoeingAirplanes @RollsRoyce @GE_Aerospace @CFM_engines pic.twitter.com/NvkeZqZ0xt
— Air India (@airindia) February 14, 2023
AI has already announced plans to upgrade the seats and in-flight entertainment systems on its widebody B787 and B777 aircraft, and the purchase of new aircraft with a brand new cabin interior will complement those efforts. At about the middle of 2024, the first of these upgraded planes will begin flying again.
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Full-service Air India is part of the Air India group, which also includes AI Express and the soon-to-be-merged Air Asia India. Tata Sons, Air India’s parent company, recently announced plans to merge the two airlines into the full-service Vistara. Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, and Tata Sons owns 51% of the venture. The Group would consist of one full-service airline, and one low-cost airline, Air India Express, in a steady state, pending regulatory approval.
