In the distant past, Air India, helmed by JRD Tata, was known as an airline that delighted passengers with its ornate interiors and in-flight service that was second to none in the world. But most passengers today have only heard about Air India’s pinnacle of service quality. Because they are accustomed to a product that reflects Air India’s woes: deep financial woes, excessive government intervention, and inefficiencies that plague many public sector companies. Poorly maintained and dilapidated planes became a hallmark of India’s flag carrier. Air India, which has returned to Tata ownership after privatization, is aiming to regain the prestige it enjoyed decades ago.
The airline will begin operating a brand new Airbus A350-900 aircraft from Monday. The aircraft, which is also the country’s first A350, was officially launched into service at Wings India 2024 in Hyderabad on Thursday. The aircraft will initially be deployed on domestic routes for several months to provide familiarization flights for crews, before switching to international mid- to long-haul routes by mid-2024.
With this aircraft, Air India hopes to usher in a new era defined by world-class products and superior passenger experience. The A350’s arrival on international routes also begins the process of a $400 million overhaul of the airline’s legacy widebody interiors, many of which are in dire need of renovation.
Campbell Wilson, the airline’s chief executive officer and managing director, calls the A350 a “game changer” for Air India. “This will not only improve the passenger experience but also open up new routes and expansion opportunities,” Wilson said, adding that the fleet and product upgrades will help Air India become a globally reputed airline. It added that it was a “key pillar” of the action plan.
Over the past few years, the well-funded Gulf carrier, which offers superior service onboard modern aircraft, has become the airline of choice for many passengers seeking comfortable long-haul and ultra-long-haul travel to and from India. It has emerged. The airline in its new avatar is looking to attract passengers from Gulf carriers, as Air India is the only Indian airline that actually offers such transcontinental flights. The airline’s network expansion and fleet modernization program is aimed, at least in part, at winning competition from major Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.
Air India’s new A350 is one of six aircraft that was originally destined for Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot, but it was reassigned to the Indian airline in response to Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine war. offered. Five more A350-900s are expected to join Air India’s fleet by March. The A350-900 and the larger A350-1000 will be part of a total of 250 aircraft ordered by Air India from European aerospace giant Airbus. The order is part of the 470 large aircraft ordered by Air India last year, with the remaining 220 being ordered from American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
According to Airbus, the A350-900 can carry 300 to 350 passengers in a standard three-class configuration and has a range of more than 15,000 kilometers. The A350-1000 can carry between 350 and 410 passengers and can cover just over 16,000km non-stop.
“With a wider cabin, larger windows, mood lighting, advanced entertainment systems and world-class cabin products, the A350 is setting a new standard for passenger experience for Indian airlines. “India’s A350-900 has 316 seats in three cabin configurations (Business, Premium Economy and Economy),” Air India said.
The aircraft’s business class features 28 private suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, each with direct aisle access and sliding privacy doors. These seats can be converted into full-size beds, and each seat comes with a personal wardrobe, storage space for electronics, toiletries, and shoes. Business Class suites are also equipped with a 21-inch high-definition (HD) touchscreen and video handset. Business class seats also come with an amenity kit from Italian luxury fashion house Ferragamo.
The premium economy cabin has 24 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration with a seat pitch of 38 inches, seat width of 18.5 inches, and recline of 8 inches. Each Premium Economy seat has four-way adjustable head and leg rests and a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen. Premium economy passengers will receive an amenity kit from US-based travel brand Tumi. The plane’s economy cabin has 264 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration, with each seat having 31 inches of pitch, 17.5 inches of seat width, 6 inches of recline, 4-way adjustable headrests, and 12 inches of HD. It has a touch screen. Economy class passengers on ultra-long-haul flights will also receive an amenity kit.
The company also introduced new bed linen, blankets, china, glassware and cutlery. All of this is inspired by the company’s new brand identity, which was unveiled in August 2023. The A350 is Air India’s first aircraft with a new livery and brand identity. All new amenity kits, refurbished bed linen and new china and glassware will be available on Air India’s wide-body fleet, consisting of A350, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, from mid-2024. It is scheduled to be installed on international flights. The rollout begins as soon as the A350 begins operating international commercial flights.
Air India will also introduce a new In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system with over 2,200 hours of content, including 1,000 hours of movies, 600 hours of TV shows and 600 hours of audio. The new IFE system will be available on the A350, the recently introduced Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, and future widebody aircraft. The airline’s legacy widebody vehicles will then be equipped with the new IFE system as part of an interior refurbishment program.
The author was in Hyderabad having been invited to attend the inauguration of Air India’s first Airbus A350 aircraft.
© Indian Express Private Limited
Originally uploaded to: January 22, 2024, 05:12 IST
