Air India all set to fly higher

With the merger of Air India and Indian underway, the merged airline (called Air India) is drawing up big plans to increase its operations, not only domestically but also across the globe.
Symbolically, the new face of the airline was unveiled on August 1, when Air India became the first airline from India to launch a daily non-stop service to the United States. The airline is utilising two of the eight Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft it ordered as a part of the 68-aircraft, $7-billion deal to launch the daily non-stop service between Mumbai and New York.
By next January, the airline is to receive four Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft, which are capable of flying non-stop between India and the United States. The arrival of the third and fourth Boeing 777-200 LRs will see the airline launch a daily non-stop service from Delhi to New York. The new flight is scheduled to become operational from January 7. The airline also has plans of launching a Bangalore-San Francisco service, which should become operational by next May.
In addition, Air India will also receive three Boeing 777-300 Extended Range (ER) aircraft that can be deployed for a one-stop flight to the United States.
Air India is also receiving 11 aircraft from the Airbus A-320 family that will primarily be used to operate flights to short- and medium-haul destinations around India. The Airbus A-320 family comprises the Airbus A-320, A-321 and A-319 aircraft. The Airbus aircraft now being received by Air India, form part of a 43-aircraft purchase deal that the erstwhile Indian had signed with the European manufacturer.
Air India also plans to use the leased Airbus A-330 aircraft being inducted into the fleet to operate on the India-Mauritius-Johannesburg route. The service is expected to become operational by mid-December this year.
06/08/07 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Categories: Air India Aug 2007, Foreign Aug 2007