

Starting in September, Air India will introduce a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to its passenger service to London Heathrow. The airline has previously only used its Boeing 787 planes for flights to London, but with the addition of new 777s on short-term leases, London has been chosen as one of the destinations for these aircraft. The airline will use its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the route between Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and London Heathrow (LHR) as flight AI111. This marks the first time in years that the airline will use its 777 aircraft on this route. However, it will also continue to use its Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes for flights between the two cities.
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Air India recently acquired a 777-300ER aircraft that previously belonged to Etihad Airways. This plane has three classes – first, business, and economy – and Air India will offer first-class seats to London, although these seats are not yet available for booking on its website. Air India’s 787s currently only offer business and economy classes. The airline has ordered several Boeing 777s on leases for short-term use and will have a total of 14 777s on short-term leases – five 777-200LRs from Delta, three 777-300ERs from Singapore Airlines, and six 777-300ERs from Etihad.
It is rumored that Air India is planning to acquire three of Singapore Airlines’ retired 777s, although it is unclear when these planes will arrive in India. With the inclusion of all these 777s that previously operated for other carriers, Air India can now offer tickets for different cabins than its usual offerings. For instance, when Delta’s former 777-200LRs arrived, Air India started offering premium economy tickets on select routes to the US. It is possible that Air India will introduce upgraded premium cabins on planes that previously flew for Singapore Airlines and Etihad.
Air India recently revealed new cabins that will be featured on its 777 fleet starting next year. The cabins will include first class, business class, premium economy, and economy. The predominant colors in first and business class will be brown, beige, and gray, while the economy and premium economy will feature dark red or maroon seats with gray headrests. All of this is part of Air India’s plan to refurbish its cabins, for which it has set aside a budget of $400 million. Hopefully, the airline will replace its outdated premium cabins entirely within the next few years.