Air India set to induct first of long-haul A350s
NEW DELHI : Tata Group-backed Air India is set to induct the first of the 470 aircraft it had ordered, with the Airbus A350 expected to arrive at Delhi airport Saturday morning, people aware of the development told Mint. Air India received regulatory approvals for engineering line maintenance of the A350 aircraft from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation earlier this month. “The aircraft will be put into commercial domestic flight operations for metro-to-metro connectivity by the end of January as it will take at least 3-4 weeks since its arrival in India to complete extensive checks and approvals," an Air India official said.
The A350-900 will be able to offer 16-17 hours of non-stop flight time, with a maximum range of up to 20 hours, according to its manufacturer, Airbus. For Air India, the aircraft is expected to provide a competitive edge in the long-haul segment from India. The A350-900 is among 70 wide-body aircraft ordered by Air India.
According to Airbus, it burns 25% less fuel than the older generation of the aircraft. Air India had in February placed an order for 70 wide-body aircraft and 400 narrow-body aircraft with Boeing and Airbus. The order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing B787s, and 10 Boeing B777-9s wide-body aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing B737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.
In the Rolls Royce engine-powered A350 category, Air India had ordered 34 Airbus A350-1000s and six A350-900 wide-body jets. It later modified its order to 20 aircraft each of both the segments. The first six A350s to be inducted by Air India were earlier part of the delivery schedule of Russian airline Aeroflot.
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