Those booked on Air India’s nonstop flight between Delhi and New York JFK will now get to fly the route on the carrier’s brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The ultra-long-haul flight is one of the carrier’s most popular and prestigious international routes and passengers can now expect new onboard products across all cabins on the A350.
Air India deploys the new A350 between Delhi and New York JFK
It’s official! Air India’s brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft has started commercial service between India and the United States. On November 1, Air India flight 101 took off a little after 02:30 in the morning for its 14+ hour journey between New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The A350 was still flying at the time of writing and was scheduled to land in less than 10 minutes. Until October 31, Air India operated this service using a Boeing 777-300ER.
The A350 already flies between Delhi and London, and New York was the obvious addition to the list, given the range of the airliner and the popularity of this route. From not having enough widebody aircraft to deploy to the US not too long ago to now using the latest generation Airbus A350 to JFK, Air India has certainly made strides under the Tata Group in the last few years. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, commented,
“The A350 is not just another aircraft for Air India; it is a symbol of the “new Air India” that is emerging through our 5-year Vihaan.AI post-privatisation transformation program.
“Guest feedback on the aircraft and new customer experience has been exceptionally positive since it was launched on the Delhi-London Heathrow route in September, so we are excited to now bring it to New York.”
Flagship route on flagship aircraft
Air India’s nonstop flight between Delhi and New York has always been extremely popular and has seen its flagship aircraft over the years, including the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and the Boeing 777s. With the Airbus A350 now being marketed as the next-generation flagship plane for the carrier, the route certainly makes sense.
Photo: Air India
Of course, this isn’t just about the optics. The A350’s range and better fuel efficiency compared to the previous generation 777 make it an ideal choice for this daily flight. Currently, 
American Airlines is the only other carrier flying between DEL and JFK using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Until recently, the US carrier deployed its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on this route. Air India will also deploy the A350 to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from Delhi five times weekly from January 2, 2025.
Brand new onboard product
Air India’s A350 features a business class cabin with 28 private suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, with each offering direct aisle access and a sliding privacy door. This will also be the first time Air India customers can choose premium economy on New York flights. The aircraft has 24 extra-legroom premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration.
Of course, premium cabin passengers will also get new amenity kits designed exclusively for Air India by the popular Italian luxury fashion house Ferragamo. Air India revealed these products at the beginning of this year, which Simple Flying covered in the article below.
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