summary
- Air India’s first Airbus A350 arrived in Delhi on November 23rd.
- The aircraft has 28 business class suites, 24 premium economy seats and 264 economy class seats.
- Air India is preparing its crew and maintenance staff for the A350 and recently received regulatory approval for engineering line maintenance.
Air India’s first Airbus A350 recently landed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). The aircraft is expected to enter commercial operations soon, and Air India took the opportunity to share the first images of the interior of the aircraft, showcasing all the different cabins.
plane arrives in delhi
On December 23, Air India’s first Airbus A350 arrived in Delhi from the aircraft manufacturer’s facility in Toulouse. Registered as VT-JRA, it landed in Delhi at 13:46 local time and was assigned the special call sign AI350.
Air India’s senior commander, Captain Monica Batra Vaidya, was on board the plane as an observer. She was one of the first few Indian pilots to be trained on the A350. The airline’s chief executive officer, Campbell Wilson, was also at the airport, awaiting his arrival. He commented:
“As a symbol of a new era of flight, the A350 offers unparalleled levels of comfort and promises a world-class long-haul travel experience on non-stop flights. Its superior flight economy and cutting-edge technology , underlines our dedication to commercially successful operations and achieving our sustainability goals.”
Interior also released
Air India also gave passengers a glimpse of what they can expect from the aircraft by releasing the first images of the interior. The aircraft offers a 316-seat, three-class cabin configuration designed by Collins Aerospace. 28 private business class suites with fully flat beds, 24 premium economy seats with extra legroom and several other differentiating features, and 264 economy class seats.
Air India also offers the latest generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens in every seat on the A350. Broken IFEs have been synonymous with Air India flights for years, but the new owners are working hard to fix the problem. It will be interesting to see how passengers react to the A350’s interior once it enters commercial service.
Ready to go
For the past few months, Air India has been preparing its crew and maintenance staff for the A350. Recently, India’s aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), granted permission to the airline for maintenance of this type of engineering line. This permission was necessary to ensure a smoother transition into the fleet and subsequent operations.
Photo: Air India
Earlier this year, Air India ordered 250 new aircraft from Airbus, of which 40 were A350s. Initially, the airline wanted all 40 of his aircraft to be his A350-1000s. However, he agreed to acquire six -900 aircraft for Russia’s Aeroflot, which became available immediately.
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The airline’s new color scheme and design can now be seen on its social media profiles and at its two airports.
But recently, the airline made some adjustments to its initial order, increasing the number of -900 variants. Air India’s current A350 order is split down the middle with 20 -1000s and 20 -900s each.
What do you think about Air India’s A350 interior? Leave a comment below.