Searching for a trip to India in premium economy or private suites in business class? Air India has now fully switched all of its flights to New York City to its new Airbus A350-900s, featuring refreshed cabins all-round. The latest and final route to move to the Airbus A350
is the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
(DEL) to Newark Liberty International Airport
(EWR) sector.
It follows the inaugural introduction of the A350 on Air India flights to the US at the end of last year, when the airline switched out the Boeing 777-300ER for the A350-900 on the Delhi to New York JFK Airport
(JFK) flight on November 1.
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It will be one of a handful of routes for the equipment this winter.
Inaugural Air India A350 to Newark
The first Air India Airbus A350 to operate on the Delhi to Newark flight touched down in the US earlier today. The aircraft left Delhi on Wednesday afternoon US time, touching down in Newark at 06:55 local time on Thursday.
Photo: Air India
The flight was operated by VT-JRH, a roughly 1-year-old Airbus A350, according to ch-aviation data. It was the fifth example to be delivered to Air India. The airline has a total of six in service, delivered as follows.
|
Registration |
Age (years) |
Delivery month |
|---|---|---|
|
VT-JRA |
1.4 |
September 2023 |
|
VT-JRB |
1.3 |
October 2023 |
|
VT-JRE |
1.3 |
October 2023 |
|
VT-JRF |
1.2 |
November 2023 |
|
VT-JRH |
1.1 |
December 2023 |
|
VT-JRI |
1.1 |
December 2023 |
Flight time was 14 hours and 35 minutes. At the time of writing, the aircraft has just departed Newark bound for Delhi as AI106. Meanwhile, the airline also sent its cabin crew on a “cinematic journey” through New York’s iconic landmarks in their new uniforms designed by Manish Malhotra to promote the “new Air India experience.”
The onboard experience
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The cabin design seamlessly integrates the airline’s identity, and there are no visual indications of its previous ownership.
The Airbus A350s feature brand-new cabin interiors, providing:
- Award-winning inflight entertainment systems (IFE) offering over 3000 hours of entertainment content across formats and genres, the airline says. This includes 1400 hours of movies, 850 hours of TV and 1000 hours of audio content.
- Complimentary on-board WiFi for all passengers
- Enhanced catering
- New serviceware
- Private suites in the Business Class cabin
- Premium Economy
Business Class
The carrier says it is the only non-stop airline between the US and India that offers private suites in Business Class. The Airbus A350s are configured with 28 private suites in a 1-2-1 configuration and can be extended to fully flat beds. All suites offer direct aisle access, as well as doors for added privacy and a personal wardrobe.
Premium Economy
The Premium Economy offering on the Airbus A350s consists of 24 extra-legroom seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. The airline says that premium economy passengers benefit from a dedicated, “upscale” cabin.
Economy Class
The A350-900s feature 264 economy class seats with a seat pitch of 31 inches, a width of 17.5 inches, and a 6-inch recline. The seats have an adjustable headrest and a responsive, modern, 12-inch screen. Each seat also has USB power outlets. The service offering includes blankets and pillows, as well as full-course hot meals.
A full transformation
The Airbus A350s feature several novelties for Air India, and are a good example of the airline’s transformation back to a world-class carrier with a focus on quality of service. Under government ownership for 70 years, the airline returned to Tata Sons control in 2022 and has subsequently been undergoing a full refresh.
“With transformation underway across all facets of the business and India’s rich legacy of hospitality, Air India is committed to being a world class global airline with an Indian heart.”
As part of the transformation, the airline has ordered hundreds of new planes. It currently has 374 remaining on order, split as follows.
|
Aircraft |
Amount |
|---|---|
|
Airbus A320neo |
98 |
|
Airbus A321neo |
210 |
|
Airbus A350-900 |
19 |
|
Airbus A350-1000 |
25 |
|
Boeing 777-9 |
10 |
|
Boeing 787-9 |
20 |
Speaking previously to Simple Flyingm Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson admitted the airline was constrained by a lack of aircraft.
“At the point of privatization, India as a country only had 43 widebody aircraft. You compare those 43 for 1.4 billion people with Singapore, which has 150 widebodies for 5 million people, and Dubai, which has 250 for 7 million people. So, the opportunity for growth out of India, even if you just focus on point-to-point, is enormous. So, our limiting factor is access to aircraft and the pace at which they can be delivered.”
