Air India's New Year Bonanza: Bookings Open For Airbus A350 Flights On Domestic Sectors

Air India today announced that its brand-new aircraft and India’s first, Airbus A350, will enter commercial service on 22 January 2024. The carrier today opened bookings for the flights to be operated by the A350, as a New Year tribute to the soaring aspirations of the nation.

Initially, while the aircraft is deployed on domestic routes for crew familiarization and regulatory compliance purposes, passengers from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai will have the opportunity to fly and experience the unparalleled comfort and state-of-the-art technology of the Airbus A350 aircraft in Air India’s bold new livery. Ushering in the most visible manifestation of Air India’s epic transformation journey, the A350 aircraft will be later deployed for longer-haul flights to destinations across continents.

On 23rd December 2023, the first of Air India’s 20 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, registered VT-JRA, was welcomed at IGI Airport, Delhi, flying in from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. The landing of the A350 marked the arrival of the first widebody aircraft from Air India’s record-setting 470 aircraft order – with scheduled arrivals of one new aircraft every six days throughout 2024. Fitted with the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, these aircraft are 20 per cent more fuel efficient than other similar aircraft, reducing fuel emissions and ensuring sustainable operations.

Air India’s A350-900 aircraft comes in a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats: 28 private Business suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats with extra legroom and other amenities, and 264 spacious Economy seats. All seats on the aircraft feature the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens to provide superior flying experience which will be offering an all-new content for our guests on board.

Air India has already rolled out its new global brand identity across guest touchpoints and unveiled its new collection of uniforms for cabin and cockpit crew designed by celebrity couturier, Manish Malhotra. Air India’s cabin crew and pilots will be seen in the new uniforms with the entry of service of the A350.

About Air India:

Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has built an extensive domestic network with non-stop flights to cities around the world, across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far-East, South-East Asia, Australia, and the Gulf. After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022.

Air India is navigating through a major five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI, with an ambition to become a world class airline with an Indian heart. The first phase of this transformation, the taxi phase was recently concluded, and focused on fixing the basics. These included bringing back to service many long grounded aircraft, addition of talent across flying and ground functions, rapid upgradation of technology and strengthening of customer care initiatives amongst others. A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity and facilities to passengers all over the world.