AI unveils revamp plan for 6 Boeings

New Delhi: In one of the most ambitious facelifts, Air India has launched a Rs 300 crore refurbishing plan for the six Boeing 747s it owns. Each of these about one-and-a-half-decade-old Jumbos are to be fitted with brand new seats, toilets and interiors. The refurbishing is being done by AI along with a leading European carrier at Mumbai and the first of these retrofitted planes will be ready by next Friday after a test flight is done Tuesday. The work on all the six Jumbos will be completed in a year.
"All economy class are being changed so that they have the latest in flight entertainment (IFE) system that the Boeing 777 would have. The club and first class seats, that were changed two years ago, are being made compatible for the new Thallis I-4000 IFE systems," said a senior official. Focussing on IFE, AI has decided to have a business channel and also launched a new magazine.
The cabin interiors are also being changed and AI is introducing the concept of "mood lighting" in aircraft so that passengers feel they are getting natural light as per the time of flight. The airline is also going to revamp its website to make its user-friendly.
Aviation minister Praful Patel had on Thursday said that the work on AI Jumbos will be taken up as the Boeing 777s start joining the fleet from next month.
12/05/07 Times of India

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Categories: Air India May 2007, New May 2007