Pooja and champagne as AI does Seattle-Delhi non-stop

Seattle/New Delhi: Air India became the first Indian carrier to successfully complete a non-stop long haul flight from the US to India.
The first of Air India's six Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft, named “Andhra Pradesh”, took off from Boeing's air base facilility — which had the US president's official plane, Air Force One, parked alongside -- at 10.30 on the morning of July 26, US time and landed at the Indira Gandhi international airport in New Delhi at a little past 2pm on July 27.
The flight lasted just 14 hours and 25 minutes — and promises to cut jet lag for passengers.
In Seattle, the aircraft took off to chants of the Gurbani. "Fly well", said television screens aboard the aircraft and that is the experience that Air India is offerring its passengers aboard the 777.
In cutting the flight time by half, Air India today flew over the North Pole -- another first for the airline and a great point of worry to its pilots before the plane took off. All, however, ended well.
Champagne corks popped and a toast raised for Air India and Boeing in the blistering Delhi afternoon. Parallely, Air India chairman K. Tulasidas offered a formal thanksgiving pooja on the tarmac.
28/07/07 Sujata Anandan/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Air India Jul 2007, Foreign Jul 2007, New Jul 2007