Air India's first wide-body Airbus A350-900 aircraft arrives in India; see pics

Air India's first wide-body aircraft, A350, arrived in the national capital on Saturday. The aircraft arrived at New Delhi today afternoon from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. This also makes Air India the first Indian carrier to have this type of aircraft.

The aircraft is first of Air India’s 20 Airbus A350-900 order, with five more scheduled for deliveries through March 2024.

"This moment marks a red-letter day for all of us at Air India. The A350 is not just metal and engines; it’s the flying embodiment of the relentless efforts of all Air India employees towards our airline’s continuing transformation and of our commitment to setting new benchmarks. It is also, in many ways, a declaration of Indian aviation’s resurgence on the world stage," said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India.

Air India’s A350 will enter commercial service in January 2024, initially operating domestically for crew familiarisation, followed by longer-haul flying to destinations across continents.

The schedule of commercial operations with the A350 will be announced in the coming weeks, said an official statement.

“As a symbol of the new age of flying, the A350 promises a world-class, long-haul travel experience on our non-stop routes, providing an unparallelled level of comfort," Wilson added.

According to the Tata-owned airline, Air India’s A350-900 aircraft come in a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats designed by Collins Aerospace: 28 private Business Class suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats with extra legroom and multiple other differentiating features, and 264 spacious Economy Class seats.

All seats on the aircraft feature the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens to provide superior flying experience.

A few days back, the airline had unveiled its much-anticipated new collection of uniforms for cabin and cockpit crew designed by Indian celebrity couturier, Manish Malhotra.  

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