Air India has opened bookings for flights aboard its brand-new A350 aircraft, the country’s first example of the type, which is scheduled to commence commercial services from 22 January 2024.
An initial period will see the three-class-cabin-configured A350 ‘operating domestically for crew familiarisation’, serving Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The first flight will be from Bengaluru to Mumbai. The carrier will then expand its service to ‘longer-haul destinations across continents,’ notes Air India.
Air India received India’s first A350 (registered VT-JRA) in December 2023, representing what Campbell Wilson, CEO and managing director of Air India described as “the flying embodiment of the relentless efforts of all Air India employees towards [the] airline’s continuing transformation and of [their] commitment to setting new benchmarks”.
The carrier has five more A350s (of a total of 20 A350-900s on order) scheduled for deliveries through March 2024.