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Civil aviation minister Scindia inaugurates Air India’s first Airbus A350 aircraft
Air India’s first A350, registered VT-JRA, is the first of Air India’s 20 Airbus A350-900 on order, with five more scheduled for deliveries through March 2024
Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday officially inaugurated private carrier Air India’s first Airbus A350 aircraft.
Air India is the first airline in the country to acquire this wide-body aircraft from Airbus in its fleet.
Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD), Air India said, “Air India’s A350 will enter commercial service on 22 January 2024, initially operating domestically for crew familiarisation on flights to/from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.”
“The aircraft will be subsequently deployed on international routes by mid this year,” the airline spokesperson said.
Air India’s first A350, registered VT-JRA, is the first of Air India’s 20 Airbus A350-900 on order, with five more scheduled for deliveries through March 2024. Air India’s firm orders for 250 new aircraft with Airbus include 20 A350-1000 as well.
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Equipped with powerful and fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the Airbus A350 delivers optimal performance, environmental benefits, and superior passenger comfort enabling long haul flights.
Air India’s A350-900 will have 316 seats in a three-class cabin configuration.
Business class aboard aircraft will feature 28 private suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, each boasting direct aisle access and sliding privacy doors.
The exclusive Premium Economy cabin on this aircraft will have 24 wide seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.
“All new amenity kits, refreshed bed linens, and the new chinaware and glassware will be seen on board Air India’s international flights from mid-2024, a vast majority of which will be operated by widebody aircraft, including A350s, B777s, and B787s. The rollout will begin when the A350 starts operating international commercial flights,” the airline concluded.
