After a four-year delay and subsequent acrimony, the first of Air India’s advanced Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, adding a new chapter to the struggling national carrier’s history.
The plane, painted in the red and yellow colours of the airline, landed at the main runway at 5 p.m. and was given the water cannon salute as it taxied to the bay.
Air India chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan and senior Civil Aviation Ministry and airline officials were present to receive the state-of-the-art aircraft.
Officials said the long haul aircraft took around 15 hours of flying time from the Boeing’s Charleston facility in South Carolina in the U.S. to Delhi plus a 90-minute stopover at Frankfurt for re-fuelling.
Air India, which ordered 27 Dreamliners six years ago, will get two more in the next few weeks. A total of eight will arrive by March 2013.
Sophisticated features
The aircraft is expected to become the mainstay of AI’s global operations and is being touted as key to its turnaround plan. For AI, the plane has been configured to have 256 seats — 18 full-flat business class seats and 238 in economy. Its sophisticated features include mood lighting inside the cabin and large LCD display screens for in-flight entertainment.
For the next two months, AI will use the B-787s on select sectors such as Delhi-Dubai, Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Bangalore and Delhi-Amritsar for the crew to practise more landings and take-offs. So far, 65 pilots have been trained to fly it.
It has four variants, one with the longest range: capable of flying over 15,000 km non-stop. By December, AI will introduce these aircraft on new long-haul sectors such as Melbourne and Sydney, apart from older ones like Japan, the Middle East and several European destinations.
Less fuel consumption
Made of carbon composite material, it is light-weight and considered less of a fuel guzzler.
Boeing claims the plane consumes 20 per cent less fuel compared to similar-sized B-767s, thereby lowering flying costs.
The first batch was supposed to be delivered in September 2008 but design and production issues caused the delay.
The airlines which are already operating this aircraft are Japan’s All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Ethiopian Airways and Lan Airlines of Chile.
Keywords: Air India, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, IGI airport
The aviation ministry has made such a huge pom-pom of this new plane as
if this the biggest and the most efficient plane ever.As if it has been
the biggest aviation milestone ever with the minister himself going to
GET it.Lufthansa is already plying Boing 747-8 on its Delhi and
Bangalore route which is double the capacity of this plane.
Some ppl find fault with everything, truly political.
No, Vikram you are wrong. The country should get developed in every
sector and they acted on this and got some new machine that can compete
with the International Airlines.This is good for our nation.They even
put there efforts and sanctioned funds for other sector but there things
are not so organised, the people are comparably not so educated and
finally the public suffer, but in few things we are good.
Its not Mineral water they wasting..Learn to appreciate if something
good happens.
Today's event was very embarassing . In some places in INDIA we still dont have water even to drink and we are wasting water on this damn plane . i think one coconut is enough to welcome the plane.... the government should seek i this matter.
It is only waste of Water,Airline Can Come Without Water Salute.
Boo-ing Air India.
Water salute????WTF!!!Here we don't have water to drink and we
are wasting it on the damn airline. Our priorities so royally messed
up.All that austerity drive gone down the drain!
Its an irony that while the new generation planes consume less fuel
compared to the rest, the current airport congestions have made planes
to spend either waiting in tarmac or hover before landing. In totality
the purpose is defeated. Its a challenge for all technologically
advanced goods to find its efficient usage. Lack of correct use them
just meaningless.
Great news. looking forward to fly this. curious to know when will these new aircrafts be deployed for the routes originating from USA
It is majestic to see the Dreamliner in India. Let us appreciate the
Finance Minister in taking a decision to provide the necessary funds.
thanks United States for the supply
I cancelled my air india express ticket 4 months back - still waiting
for the refund.
further innovations in space technology will make traveling better, cheaper, easier.
Air India is considered national carrier. Why don't they raise money
through public issue of 1.23 billion shares at Rs.10/= face value and
allot one share each to all people of India? It will be better than GOI
arbitrarily using tax payers money to pump into the loss making venture!
A dream come true! We hope and pray that Air India restores it glory
which it had lost in the recent years!The carrier of the Indian sub
continent will revive its Maharaja Mascot! who is missed !
Wow!! Hope this changes the fate of the Air India and is on path to reclaim the no: 1 position it once had!!
Hope this new Boeing dreamliner will help AIR-INDIA to record growth and
better safety for passengers and most important it should chase away
Air-India's competitors from spoiling the services it has been giving to
Global Travelers.we never have the National feeling when we travel in
other airlines but in AIR-INDIA.My request to all Ministers and Private
airline managements not spoil this airline.if not just Handover back to
TATAS,but no damages to employees or Passengers.
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