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Published 10:31 IST, September 2nd 2024

Flying to London just got a notch up on style!

This Delhi-London sector is a busy route for Air India, and with A350-900s, it is likely to offer passengers an experience far more efficient than so far.

Reported by: Business Desk
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Air India
Air India | Image: Air India

Air India flight experience upgrade: Air India has deployed its new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on Delhi-London Heathrow flights. Starting September 2024, the airline will replace its Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, operating 14 of its 17 weekly frequencies, adding a total of 336 seats on this high-traffic route.

The A350-900 is configured in a three-class cabin layout with 28 private suites in Business Class, 24 seats in a dedicated Premium Economy cabin, and 264 seats in Economy. Throughout the classes, the amenities onboard have been refreshed by this airline for passenger comfort and a modern flying experience.

Focus on premiumisation of experience

In the new Delhi to London flight by Air India, Business and Premium Economy passengers can also expect improved service, with updated amenity kits from luxury brands such as Ferragamo and TUMI, and newly designed soft products under Air India’s “Vista Verve” brand. In the flight, the new Feramago kit will include Ferragamo body lotion, hand cream, lip balm, comfortable socks, a plush eye mask, and a specially designed Air India keepsake.

Apart from this, the airline has introduced new uniforms designed by Manish Malhotra for its flight and cabin crew.

Adjusting to infotainment demands

The inflight entertainment (IFE) on the new Air India offers a choice of content: over 300 Indian movies and 120 regional films in eight languages. The inflight collection of Hollywood movies is close to 300, while the international favourites span 13 languages.

The IFE also includes 1,400+ episodes of TV shows and digital content from streamers like Paramount+, HBO, and Hulu. The audio product consists of podcasts, celebrity interviews, and over 1,200 options for music across genres. There's even a dedicated Kids Zone featuring over 100 hours of content for young jetsetters, segmented into sections for pre-schoolers, kids, and teens.

We are going beyond customer expectations: CEO

Air India’s CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, said, “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 to going beyond just meeting customer expectations as we continue to grow and renew our fleet.”

This Delhi-London sector is a busy route for Air India, and with A350-900s, it is likely to offer passengers an experience far more efficient than so far. It features the next-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment, HD screens, and an wide variety of content options targeted at a wide international audience. 

So far, Air India's strategy has been to mainly focus on working on improving their product, part of the greater industry trend of passenger comfort and experience. This too forms part of the wider move by the airline in renewing its fleet and modernising its services, an important milestone if it is ever to reclaim some of its lost glory in the highly competitive aviation industry.

Updated 11:43 IST, September 2nd 2024