Tag Archives: Air India

Air India to launch 787 on Mumbai – London Heathrow

by BA Staff National carrier Air India is bringing the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to its services between its secondary hub at Mumbai and London Heathrow International Airport from 30th March, 2014. Schedules for the flight are as follow AI131 ~ BOM – LHR ~ D: 0630 A: 1130 ~ 788 ~ Daily AI130 ~ LHR – BOM ~ D: 1315 …

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Etihad Airways to commence Los Angeles flights using Air India 777-200LRs?

by Devesh Agarwal Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the launch of direct non stop flights between its home base of Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Los Angeles, California, USA (LAX), from June 1, 2014, subject to regulatory approvals. The announcement goes on to say, Etihad will deploy a three …

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Air India and State Bank of India launch co branded credit cards

By BA Staff Air India and State Bank of India (SBI) have launched two co-branded credit cards. An Air India SBI Signature Visa card, and an Air India SBI Platinum Visa card. Highlights of the Air India SBI Signature Card 4 points for every Rs 100 spent 20 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on Air India website and …

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Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner successfully completes first flight

by Devesh Agarwal The second member of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 successfully completed its first flight, beginning a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery in mid-2014. The aircraft performed a 5-hour, 16-minute flight, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington state, at 11:02 a.m. local time and landing at 4:18 p.m. at Seattle’s Boeing …

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Air India’s Boeing 787 promotional video

by Devesh Agarwal Through non-official channels a promotional video by Air India of their new Boeing 787. Now that the airline has a new toy to play with, all the 777s procured just a few years ago lie forgotten and rotting on the tarmac. Read my op-ed piece here. You can also see our cabin walk-though pictures and video here.

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Air India reduces Delhi – Tokyo

by BA Staff Image Credit: Devesh Agarwal As per the Airline Route blog, Indian national carrier Air India is reducing Delhi-Tokyo Narita this winter from five flights per week to four utilizing Boeing 777-200LR equipment. The new schedules for the flight are as follow: AI 306 departs Delhi at 21:10 on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays ~ arrives to Tokyo …

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Air India constitutes over 80% of dues to Airports Authority of India

by Devesh Agarwal Air India is well known for receiving thousands of crores of tax-payer rupees in bailouts, however, the unfettered largesse to the beleaguered national carrier does not end there. The airline is the constant recipient of indirect dole in the form of huge overdues to state-run service providers like the Airports Authority of India which runs most of …

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Air India’s latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrives at Delhi

by Devesh Agarwal VT-ANN, L/N 90 C/N 36285, the latest Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner of national carrier Air India arrived in to New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport yesterday. VT-ANN AIC164 flight track. Courtesy FlightAware. Deviations from flight plan route are normally due to weather or ATC. The aircraft was flown 14 hours 12 minutes, non-stop from Paine Field in …

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New Boeing 737-800s of SpiceJet and Jet Airways delivered

by Devesh Agarwal US airplane manufacturer Boeing has delivered to two Indian airlines, SpiceJet and Jet Airways, their newest 737-800NG aircraft. Last Thursday, VT-SZH of SpiceJet, L/N 4573 C/N 41261 B737-86N departed Boeing Field International airport for India via Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The aircraft has already landed in New Delhi and completing its customs and aviation paperwork formalities to enter …

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Japan ‘bans’ Air India’s Dreamliners

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner line number 35 test registered N1015 (later became VT-ANH) at the India Aviation show, Hyderabad March 2012. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

Japanese government irritated by Air India’s inefficiency About three weeks ago I wrote debunking the myth being created by the Air India management and their political bosses about the fuel efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft being the saviour of the beleaguered national carrier. Read the Op-Ed piece here. In June no less than the Indian civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh, …

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Video: Air India inaugural flight on Delhi Birmingham route

On August 1, Air India brought the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Birmingham airport when flight VT-AND performed AI113 from Delhi. The videos below highlight the events surrounding the Air India inaugural flight on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Delhi to Birmingham last week. While the addition of the new route and the Dreamliner to Air India’s fleet are both …

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787 Dreamliners alone cannot save an inefficient Air India

Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner line number 35 test registered N1015 (later became VT-ANH) at the India Aviation show, Hyderabad March 2012. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

Recent media reports blare the headline The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the latest acquisition of Air India, is likely to shore up the fortune of India’s national carrier. This is backed by the many advertisements portraying some of the top Indian CEOs, giving big thumbs up after travelling in the next generation flying machine of India鈥檚 national carrier. Various media reports …

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Analysis: Air India to begin several new routes – including San Francisco and Madrid?

by Vinay Bhaskara Earlier this month, erstwhile Indian national carrier Air India placed a tender asking for fuel supply contracts at 9 different stations as seen below. The tender includes Sydney, where Air India is planning to launch 4 weekly nonstop and 3 weekly one-stop flights (in a triangle routing with Melbourne) on-board the carrier’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Australian …

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Air India secures $500 million funding for five Boeing 787 Dreamliners

by Devesh Agarwal According to a PTI report, Air India has tied up with Deutsche Bank and Investec Bank to raise up to $500 million as bridge loans to take the delivery of five Boeing Dreamliners, according to airline sources. India’s flag carrier had invited bids for this on June 26. A bridge loan is normally a short term loan …

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Opinion: Air India pilots should not resort to scare tactics

by Devesh Agarwal The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) of the erstwhile Indian Airlines, who fly the narrow body A320 family fleet of national carrier Air India is resorting to scare tactics accusing the airline “of arbitrarily changing the flight operating procedures for narrow-body A320 aircraft, affecting flight safety.” The issue revolves around the carrier’s decision to reduce the acceleration …

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Opinion: After Ethiopian Airlines incident at Heathrow Airport; 787 remains safe

by Vinay BhaskaraLast Friday, a pair of incidents occurred with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Smoke was observed billowing from an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 parked on the ground at London Heathrow International Airport with no passengers on board, while a Thomson Airways Dreamliner operating between Manchester and Sanford, Florida (SFB) was forced to return to Manchester due to a routine …

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Air India to commence Australia service with 787 Dreamliner in late August

by Devesh Agarwal After many a false start, it appears national carrier Air India is scheduled to commence its Australia service at the end of August. The airline will use its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to operate the route. A schedule for a triangular service between Delhi, Sydney and Melbourne has been loaded in to global distribution systems, but inexplicably, the …

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Air India resuming service to Birmingham

National carrier Air India Ltd has announced it is set to launch four weekly direct flights between Birmingham and New Delhi from August 1. The route will be operated the new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with a configuration of 18 business class and 238 economy class seats. The flight will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It will depart from …

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Travelling with new lower check-in and carry-on hand baggage allowances

by Devesh Agarwal Last month, I flew more than 50,000 miles across many nations, and airlines, and in the process experienced the carry on hand baggage and check-in baggage rules of different airlines, countries, and airports and to a chance try out new lightweight luggage. [Disclaimer: I have not received any benefit, in any form, from any of the airlines …

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