Air India's First A350 Arrives in Delhi: Short Haul Flights

Mumbai, Dec 22 (PTI) Air India's first wide body Airbus A350-900 aircraft is set to arrive in the national capital on Saturday and initially, the plane will be operated in short haul routes, the airline's chief Campbell Wilson said on Friday.

Air India, which plans to induct a total of six A350 planes in the first phase, will be the first Indian carrier to have this type of aircraft.

In a message to the staff on Friday, the Air India CEO and MD also said that new uniforms for the airline's ground staff as well as for Air India Express staff will be introduced soon.

Recently, Air India introduced new uniforms for the airline's cabin and cockpit crew.

After many months of planning, the first aircraft A350-900 and the first to sport the airline's new livery and interior, will arrive in Delhi on Saturday, Wilson said.

Being the first of type for India and Air India, he said there are a number of post-arrival regulatory processes that need to be completed, including customs clearance, various DGCA checks on equipment, as well as a series of ground tests and proving flights to demonstrate procedures in action before the airline is certified to carry passengers.

"Thereafter, we will be operating short sectors for a few months so that we can familiarise our pilots with the new aircraft under the tutelage of experienced instructors, and to build a pool sufficient to support long-hail A350 operations later in the year," he said.

The Tata Group-owned full-service carrier has already secured regulatory nod for engineering line maintenance of A350 aircraft, which is a major step forward in ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of all six A350 aircraft which are to be inducted in the fleet.