Air India’s new flagship aircraft will make its much-anticipated debut in the United States later this year.
The New Delhi-based carrier announced on Monday that it will deploy new Airbus A350-900 on daily flights from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) starting November 1. Then, starting January 2, 2025, Air India will deploy the A350 from DEL to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) five times a week.
Air India’s Airbus A350 is not only new, modern and more fuel efficient, but also offers a great passenger experience from tip to tail.
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Start in business class, where passengers will enjoy direct aisle access to private suites arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each cabin features sliding doors, 21-inch high-definition touchscreen TVs, plenty of storage, power outlets, and more. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed at the touch of a button.
The A350 also features a premium economy cabin, which will be deployed on flights from New Delhi to New York for the first time. This premium economy cabin is arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration with spacious reclining seats for each passenger. These seats have a pitch of 38 inches and are 18.5 inches wide with an 8-inch recline.
In many ways, these premium economy seats resemble domestic first-class reclining seats. They also feature winged headrests, legroom, and large 13.3-inch high-definition touchscreen TVs.
Not only do business and premium economy passengers enjoy upgraded seats, they also get enhanced onboard amenities from Ferragamo and Tumi. Air India has recently updated its amenity kits with top international brands and introduced new china, glassware and bedding for premium passengers.
Finally, the economy cabin on Air India’s A350 has 264 seats in the industry-standard 3-3-3 configuration. Each 17.5-inch seat has a 31-inch pitch and reclines 6 inches. Each economy passenger also enjoys a 12-inch high-definition touchscreen TV with hundreds of hours of on-demand entertainment options.
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Since the beginning of the year, Air India has received six Airbus A350 aircraft. The jets were originally intended for Aeroflot, but international sanctions have banned the Russian airline from receiving them.
Rather than just let these A350s sit in the desert, Air India has seized the opportunity to pick them up. While these aircraft will have the cabin upgrades mentioned above, the rest of Air India’s A350 fleet will have a different but still much improved product.
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So far, Air India has deployed the A350 on domestic routes within India and flights from New Delhi to Dubai. Although this is a short-haul flight, the A350 is designed for ultra-long-haul flights.
Starting September 1, Air India will begin flying the A350 from DEL to London Heathrow (LHR). And the airline is expected to launch more A350 destinations in the coming years. After all, the airline has 34 more Airbus A350s on order from Airbus, including 20 of the larger A350-1000 variant.
Air India is undergoing a major transformation after privatizing the airline. Perhaps the biggest news is that the airline has placed orders 470 new jets to modernize its fleet. We are starting to get a glimpse of Air India’s future, and it looks a lot brighter than it does now. TPG Ratings 2020 of the airline’s business class.
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