Highlights:
The aircraft will go with the Air India One sign.
The aircraft will be operated by the IAF, although Air India would receive them.
The planes will bear the Ashoka emblem with Bharat and India written over them.
Air India One, the highly customised wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 ERs, meant exclusively for the Indian Prime Minister, President and the Vice-President, is set to land in Delhi by early next week, according to reports.
A six-member team from Air India and the Indian Air Force left for the US last week to escort the newly-customised Air India One. Government sources in New Delhi revealed that the team is in the final stages of finishing the formalities to bring the aircraft home
The two Boeing aircraft have been converted into an impregnable air fortress and would cost around Rs 8,458 crore to the exchequer.The aircraft have their own missile defence system, Self-Protection Suites (SPS) and state-of-the-art communication system.
The Boeing 777-300 planes were inducted into Air India’s fleet in 2018, but sent to Boeing’s facility at Dallas- Fort Worth within months for retrofitment worthy of India’s top dignitaries.
These planes were scheduled to return by June 30 and July 30 this year, according to the agreement between Air India and Boeing but the aerospace manufacturer sought an extension of two months after delays in regulatory clearances from the US Federal Aviation Authority caused due to travel restrictions imposed following the spread of COVID-19.
At present, VVIPs travel long hours on Air India’s Boeing 747 aircraft. However, the aircraft is not capable of flying more than 10 hours without refuelling. The new aircraft can fly over 17 hours continuously without refuelling.
