PM's aircraft to carry passengers to London

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's two Jumbo aircraft (Boeing 747-400) will be used to transport to London passengers stranded in India due to the closure of Heathrow and several other airports the past several days because of the volcanic ash clouding the European airspace. This is a special gesture by Air India to its passengers.
On April 23, passengers travelling with Air India from Mumbai to London will be flying the aircraft that was used by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to meet the US President, Mr Barack Obama, earlier this month. Security considerations require that two aircraft be prepared for a VVIP flight — one which is used to transport the dignitary and the other as a stand-by.
When the Prime Minister or other VVIPs use this aircraft, it has a special enclosure with a bedroom and a work-place, a first class section for the officials, and a small business class section for other travellers who generally number less than 100.
Official sources told Business Line that the state owned airline is working to reconvert the Boeing 747-400 aircraft, christened Air India-1 for VVIP travel, to a normal passenger aircraft capable of carrying 423 passengers in first, business and economy classes.
22/04/10 Business Line

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Categories: Air India - International Apr 2010, Foreign Apr 2010, NACIL Apr 2010