Air India is in the course of a large transformation, because the airline has been privatized. Air India is planning main adjustments to the passenger expertise, because the airline has ordered 470 new jets, and in addition plans to refresh the interiors of current large physique plane.
Along with that, we’ve seen Air India lease some used plane, each so as to add brief time period capability, and in addition to enhance the passenger expertise. For instance, Air India is leasing 4 former Delta Boeing 777s, which supply significantly better cabins than you’ll in any other case discover on the airline. The airline will now even be leasing a number of former Singapore Airways Boeing 777s.
Air India getting three Singapore Airways Boeing 777s
The Financial Instances studies that Air India will quickly add three former Singapore Airways Boeing 777-300ERs to its fleet. Whereas the precise timeline stays to be seen, the plan is for these plane for use for lengthy haul routes.
Singapore Airways retired some planes prematurely in 2021, because of the expectation of a sluggish restoration from the pandemic. So it’s nearly sure that the plane that Air India picks up will likely be three of the planes that have been retired then.
For context, Singapore Airways’ Boeing 777-300ERs function a complete of 264 seats, together with:
- 4 top notch seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration
- 48 enterprise class seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration
- 28 premium financial system seats, in a 2-4-2 configuration
- 184 financial system class seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration
Suffice it to say that this can symbolize a large product enchancment throughout the board. For instance, in enterprise class you’re going from angled seats in a 2-3-2 format…
…to totally flat seats in a 1-2-1 format.
Which planes will these Boeing 777s exchange?
Air India’s plan is to make use of three former Singapore Airways Boeing 777-300ERs to switch three of the service’s Boeing 777-200LRs. At this level Air India has eight Boeing 777-200LRs, with 5 of these being former Delta plane with very good interiors.
Air India needs to retire its personal Boeing 777-200LRs, that are in a really outdated configuration. My guess is that Air India may get an important deal on the lease on these planes, and determined the economics made extra sense this manner vs. persevering with to fly the 777-200LRs.
Sadly sufficient, these 777-200LRs being retired aren’t really previous, as they have been solely delivered in 2009, making them round 14 years previous. In the meantime the three 777-300ERs being added to the fleet have been produced in 2006. Nevertheless, as you may anticipate, Singapore Airways has traditionally completed a bit higher of a job sustaining its plane than Air India.
Backside line
Air India will quickly add three former Singapore Airways Boeing 777-300ERs to its fleet, which is able to exchange the service’s three personal Boeing 777-200LRs. Which means Singapore Airways’ solely remaining 777-200LRs would be the 5 former Delta frames that simply joined the fleet.
That is a part of Air India’s objective of including brief time period capability whereas bettering the passenger expertise.
What do you make of Air India leasing former Singapore Airways Boeing 777s?
