| If you're pleasantly surprised by the ample leg space, larger hand rest and other facilities while travelling business class and first class on Air-India's new Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 flights next year, thank Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, Housing Development Finance Corporation honcho Deepak Parekh, industrialist Yash Birla and Tina Ambani. |
| No, none of them has joined any advisory team of the national carrier. What they did was to find time for an on-site inspection and suggest what Air-India should offer to its first class and business class passengers on its long distance flights. |
| A few months back, the airline invited top industrialists and frequent travellers and sought their suggestions for improving amenities on long-haul flights. |
| "I was pleasantly surprised by the response I received from them. They, particularly Tata, spent a couple of hours and examined all the seats that we showed them. While making the final choice, we went by their suggestions," says Air-India Chairman and Managing Director Vasudevan Thulasidas. |
| According to him, the basic idea of the exercise was to ensure that travellers get the same comfort on AI flights which they enjoy on international carriers. |
| "Who else can tell you better than Tata and Parekh?" he wonders. The 777s will replace Air-India's current fleet of 747-200s aeroplanes while the 787-8 Dreamliner will replace its aging A310 fleet. The new planes will join the Air-India fleet early next year. |
| Thulasidas says the positive economics of the 777-200LR, 777-300ER and 787 Dreamliner will help Air-India save on operational costs. It will also provide flexibility to serve new, ultra long-range non-stop routes such as Delhi-New York and Mumbai-San Francisco. |
| The Boeing 787 is a super-efficient aeroplane with new passenger-pleasing features. |
| It will bring in the economics of large jet transport to the middle of the market, using 20 per cent less fuel than any other aeroplane of its size. |
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