 "Air India's new Airbus A350 to enter commercial service on January 22")
Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday announced that its new aircraft Airbus A350 will enter commercial service on January 22. The carrier opened bookings for the flights to be operated by the A350, which will also be India's first such aircraft.
In the first stage, the aircraft will be deployed on routes between Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. The first flight of the A350 aircraft will be between Bengaluru and Mumbai at 7:05 am. It will be followed by another between Mumbai and Chennai and Chennai and Bengaluru at 10:05 am and 1:20 pm, respectively.
From Delhi, the first flight in the aircraft will take off on January 23 at 7 pm to Bengaluru. Earlier in the day, a flight from Bengaluru will land in Delhi at 10:30 am.
"Ushering in the most visible manifestation of Air India's epic transformation journey, the A350 aircraft will be later deployed for longer-haul flights to destinations across continents," the airline said in an announcement.
The first Airbus A350-900 aircraft landed at the Delhi Airport, flying in from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, on December 23, 2023. It was the first of the airline's 470 aircraft order announced last year. In 2024, one new aircraft will be handed over to Air India every six days.
Air India's A350-900 aircraft has a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats: 28 private Business suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats with extra legroom and other amenities, and 264 Economy seats.
Last month, Air India announced that passengers travelling to and from Delhi Airport during the winter season can reschedule or cancel their bookings at no additional cost if major fog delays are anticipated.
Passengers on these flights will receive regular updates through flight-specific advisories, ensuring they are well-informed about potential delays.