Air India's A350-900 takes Flight on Delhi-London Route

Air India's A350-900 takes Delhi-London travel to new heights 

Air India has debuted its latest wide-body flagship, the Airbus A350 aircraft, on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. This marks the long-haul debut of the A350, the first new aircraft type to be introduced by an Indian airline in over a decade. In December, the carrier began receiving the long-range A350 aircraft as part of its large order of 470 Airbus and Boeing planes. Six of the 40 A350s ordered by the airline in 2023 have already joined its fleet.

The Tata group carrier, designated as A350, used the aircraft to unveil its new brand identity and upgraded product this year. It has been primarily utilized for domestic flights and the short international trip from Delhi to Dubai. These operations were viewed mainly as a preparation for the aircraft's future use on long-haul routes. Due to its long range, the aircraft can operate flights to most global markets currently served by Air India.

According to the Airbus website, the A350-900 can carry 300-350 passengers in a standard three-class layout and has a flight range of over 15,000 km. Air India's A350-900 aircraft are equipped with 316 seats: 28 in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 264 in economy class.

"The deployment of the flagship A350s on the Delhi-London Heathrow route marks a significant milestone for Air India. It demonstrates Air India’s commitment to elevating the travel experience of our guests to truly world-class standards and going beyond just meeting customer expectations as we continue to grow and renew our fleet," said Air India’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson.

Starting this month, Air India is replacing the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner planes with A350-900 aircraft on 14 of its 17 weekly flights from Delhi to London Heathrow. This change will provide an additional 336 weekly seats on the Delhi-London Heathrow route.

Air India will upgrade 90 percent of all its flights to London Heathrow by deploying the new aircraft. A few months ago, the carrier deployed leased Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with elevated cabin interiors on the Mumbai-London Heathrow route.

Air India's A350 flights will showcase new soft products and enhancements introduced earlier this year. These upgrades encompass new chinaware, tableware, and glassware, improved bedding and updated amenity kits for Business and Premium Economy guests. In addition to the airline's standard business and economy classes, Air India's A350 aircraft also features a premium economy cabin class.