Airline takes delivery of first long-haul, fuel efficient aircraft at South Carolina Boeing facility
After a four-year delay, Air India on Thursday took delivery of the first long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner at the South Carolina facility of Boeing in U.S.
It will take off on Friday and land in Delhi on Saturday.
With “the most technologically advanced and fuel efficient airplane in the world” joining its fleet, Air India can open new routes in a dynamic marketplace and provide the best in-flight experience to passengers, Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan said in a statement here.
Delayed schedule
The national carrier, which placed orders for 27 of these aircraft six years ago, will get delivery of two more airplanes within the next few weeks.
The first batch was supposed to be delivered in September 2008 but design and production issues at Boeing caused delay.
The Union Cabinet recently cleared the compensation package between AI and Boeing for the delayed delivery of aircraft. AI intends getting 14 of them by March next and plans to launch flights in long-haul international sectors, including new services to Australia.
The airline proposes to operate the Dreamliner in the next few weeks in the domestic sectors, including Delhi-Mumbai, for pilots and crew to get accustomed to its landing and take-off.
The 787 has the range and capability to allow AI to deploy the Dreamliner on many routes including the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia. The plane is made of carbon composite material, which makes it lightweight and therefore fuel efficient. Boeing claims it consumes 20 per cent less fuel than similar-sized B-767s. The airplane has 18 business class seats and 238 in the economy class.
Celebrating another “historic moment” in the company’s nearly seven decades-long relationship with AI, senior vice-president of Asia Pacific and India Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Dinesh Keskar said: “I am sure Air India and their customers will be thrilled to experience the revolutionary features on the 787, an airplane that will be the key focus of the airline’s turnaround plan.”
· In next few weeks, it is to be operated in domestic sector
· 14 other planes may be delivered by March next
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3868378.ece
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