Another Boeing 777-300ER For Air India Arrives In The Country

Another Boeing 777-300ER For Air India Arrives In The Country

• One more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has arrived in India to join Air India’s fleet.
• The airline has been adding several widebody planes on short-term leases to enhance its overseas flight network, particularly to North America.
• Air India’s fleet is set to undergo a massive overhaul, with the refurbishment of its Boeing 777 cabins expected to start in 2024.

Air India will soon have one more Boeing 777-300ER joining its fleet, as the aircraft recently landed in Hyderabad from San Bernardino. Air India has been adding several widebody planes over the last year on short-term leases to enhance its international network, and the arrival of the latest 777 is part of that plan.

Boeing 777 lands in Hyderabad

Air India has received one more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft as it continues to expand its international operations. The development was noticed by Indian aviation expert Vinamra Longani, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the flight leaving from San Bernardino Airport with a stop in Belgrade.

Per Flightradar24, the plane landed in Hyderabad at 01:46 on January 10. Currently registered as OE-IUG, it previously flew for Etihad Airways as A6-ETK. The 777 is 11.63 years old and was delivered to Etihad in June 2012. Per Planespotters.net, its registration will change to VT-AEM for its operations for Air India.

Fleet enhancement

While Air India will receive many widebody airplanes over the next decade as part of its massive order with Airbus and Boeing, it is also adding fleet capacity in the short term to increase its overseas flights, particularly to North America.

Over the past year, it has received five Boeing 777-200LRs previously belonging to Delta Air Lines and a couple of 777-300ERs that once flew for Etihad Airways. It was previously reported that some 777s that flew for Singapore Airlines will also be added to Air India’s fleet.

These additional planes have allowed Air India to add several new and previously dropped routes and increase frequencies to many international destinations. Mumbai is receiving special love from Air India as all Mumbai-US routes of the carrier now feature the newly acquired 777s that come with the premium configuration of the airlines they flew for previously.

New cabins

The ex-Etihad 777s and the company-owned 777s of Air India have different cabins, which also dictate the routes they fly on. Simple Flying’s route analyst James Pearson has explained this in detail in the following article.

Related

Where Air India Is Flying Its Boeing 777-300ERs This Winter

The ex-Etihad and the company-owned aircraft differ in where they fly.

Air India’s aircraft cabins need a massive overhaul. The carrier was largely ignored when it was government-owned, but things have changed now. Air India will begin refurbishing its Boeing 777 fleet this year, and passengers can start to see some changes by the end of 2024. The Tata Group has allocated $400 million for the refurbishment task.

In August 2023, Air India revealed the new cabins for its 777 fleet in a two-minute-long video, showing the first class, business class, premium economy, and economy products. Brown, beige, and gray were the predominant colors in first and business class, while the economy and premium economy featured dark red or maroon seats with gray headrests.

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• Air India

  IATA/ICAO Code: AI/AIC Airline Type: Full Service Carrier Hub(s): Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport Year Founded: 1946 Alliance: Star Alliance CEO: Campbell Wilson Country: India Region: Asia