NEW DELHI: Two custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top Indian dignitaries, are likely to be delivered by Boeing to Air India by September. Air India B777 business class seat storage My journey was overall a comfortable one, including a smooth take off and landing, thanks to the experienced Air India pilots at the front. I didn’t get a chance to lie down during this flight, as I got talking to the captains flying with me and the two-hour flight soon passed. President Ram Nath Kovind boards the Air India One- B777 aircraft for inaugural flight to Chennai. Pic credits (ANI) NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind boarded the Air India One-B777 aircraft on Tuesday for its inaugural flight to Chennai, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. Air India Fleet Boeing 777-200LR Cabin Interior Class Configuration and Seats Layout. Air India Boeing 777-200LR seats 238 passengers in a three-class configuration and is primarily used on long-haul routes. There are 8 flat bed seats in First Class, 35 angled-flat seats in Business, and 195 standard Economy Class seats.
Air India operates Boeing 777-300ER version of the airplane.
This airplane has three-class configuration cabin: first, business and economy and may transport 342 passengers.
First class seats are located in the 1st row. There are totally 4 flat bad seats here that have 80 inches pitch and 23 inches width.
Business class offers 35 flat bed seats with 76 inches pitch and 19.95 inches width. These seats are located in two sections and have 2-3-3 configuration, i.e. 5 rows per 7 seats in each.
First section consists of 3 rows. The only disadvantage of the seats of the 10th row is close location of the galleys the noise from which may be bothersome.
Second section of business class seats is located behind the galleys and exit row. Location of the lavatories, galleys and bassinets may cause discomfort to passengers of the seats of the 12th row.
Economy class is divided from business class seats with a bulkhead. Economy class may accommodate 303 passengers. These seats are divided into three sections and have 31-33 inches pitch and 18 inches width.
First section consists of 10 rows of seats: 9 rows have 3-3-3 configuration and one row offers just 3 seats. Due to position of the bulkhead the seats of the 17th row have limited space for passengers’ legs. Passengers traveling with babies are often seated here because these seats offer bassinets.
Proximity of the lavatories is the main disadvantage of the seats 25ABC, 25 HJK and 26DEF.
Second section of economy class seats is located behind exit row. Proximity of the lavatories and position of the bassinets are the disadvantages of the seats 27DEF.
Thanks to the exit row located in front passengers of the seats 27ABC and 27HJK will take advantage of extra legroom. However location of the lavatories in front may cause discomfort.
Noise from the galleys and lavatories will be bothersome for passengers of the seats 38C, 38H, 39AB, 39D, 39F, 39JK and 40DEF.
Third section of economy class seats is located behind another exit row.
Passengers of the seats of the 41st row will take advantage of extra space for their legs. At the same time noise from the galleys and lavatories located in front may me bothersome.
The seats 42DEF have the following disadvantages: limited legroom, position of the bassinets and location of the galley in front.
Due to missing seats in front of the seats 43C and 43H these seats offer additional legroom to passengers. However, other passengers tend to bump into these seats when passing by.
Because of the angling the seats 50A and 50K have extra legroom. These seats are considered the best seats of the economy class.
B777 Air India One Cost
The seats of the last 52nd row are considered bad seats because of limited recline and location of the galleys behind.
A custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly the president, vice president and prime minister, has arrived in Delhi from the US on Thursday, said government officials.
The plane was scheduled to be delivered by aircraft manufacturer Boeing to Air India in July but its delivery was delayed twice – once in July for a few weeks due to COVID-19pandemic and then in August for a few weeks due to technical reasons – the officials noted.
Air India One, which is the call sign of the aircraft, landed at the Delhi airport from Texas at around 3 pm on Thursday, they stated.
Senior officials of the national carrier had reached the US during the first half of August to receive the plane from Boeing, the officials said.
During the travel of the VVIPs, the two B777 aircraft will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not of Air India. (ANI)Another custom-made B777 plane for the travel of VVIPs is likely to be received from Boeing during a later date, they noted.
These two aircraft were part of Air India’s commercial fleet for a few months in 2018 before they were sent back to Boeing for retrofitting them for VVIP travel.
Officials said the total cost of purchase and retrofitting the two planes has been estimated to be around Rs 8,400 crore.
The B777 planes will have state-of-the-art missile defence systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS).
In February, the US agreed to sell the two defence systems to India at a cost of USD 190 million.
During the travel of the VVIPs, the two B777 aircraft will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not of Air India, an official said.
Currently, the president, vice president and prime minister, fly on Air India’s B747 planes, which have the call sign Air India One.
Air India pilots fly these B747 aircraft for the dignitaries and the Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) maintains them.
B777 Air India Flight
When these B747 aircraft are not flying the dignitaries, they are used by the Indian national carrier for commercial operations.
B777 Air India Flight Tickets
The custom-made B777 planes will be used for travel of the dignitaries only.
Boeing 777 Air India
The Centre has already initiated the process of divestment of its stake in Air India, which has a debt of over Rs 60,000 crore. However, the process has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.