NEW DELHI:
Tata Group-owned Air India will deploy its newly inducted Airbus A350 aircraft on the Delhi-Dubai route from May 1. This will mark the airline’s use of the wide-body plane for international destinations.
“Operating as AI995/996, the aircraft is scheduled to depart Delhi daily at 20:45 hours, arriving at 22:45 hours in Dubai,” the airline said in a release on Thursday.
Earlier, Mint had reported that Air India is planning to launch these wide-body aircraft on international routes by mid-2024. The airline had planned to receive the deliveries of a total of six A350 aircraft by March, a senior executive of the airline told Mint.
About Air India’s Dubai-Delhi flight
According to the airline press release, Air India’s return flight will depart Dubai the next day at 00:15 hours and arrive in Delhi at 04:55 hours. All are local timings.
About Air India A350 aircraft
The A350 aircraft deployed on the international route will have 28 private suites with full-flat beds in Business. There will be 24 seats in Premium Economy and 264 seats in Economy.
At present, Air India operates 72 flights a week to Dubai from five Indian cities. Out of the five cities, 32 flights are from Delhi. Air India began inducting A350 planes in 2024. So far, the operation of these planes has been limited to domestic routes for crew familiarisation and regulatory compliance purposes. The airline has placed an order for 40 A350 planes and four of them are in its fleet.
What has changed in Air India’s international flights with A350 planes?
With the introduction of A350 aircraft on international routes, Air India is trying to upgrade its passenger experience with lavish facilities and luxurious experiences.
All Air India international flights are expected to get an upgrade in terms of facilities and beyond personal amenities with the induction of the A350. The airline will introduce refreshed bed linens, India-inspired chinaware, copper-gold serving plates for first-class guests, and lead-free Slovakian glassware. Passengers can enjoy these upgraded services across all international flights on Air India’s B777 and B787 aircraft after the rollout of A350 international flights, reported Mint’s Anu Sharma earlier.
Air India users will also witness an upgraded in-flight entertainment experience in A350, and other aircraft as they can enjoy 2,200 hours of diverse content, including movies, TV shows, and audio.
