It may be mentioned that although the airline's single-aisle fleet is made up entirely of the A320 family aircraft, including A321s, this is the first latest-generation A321neo to join its fleet. This is for the first time that Air India has received delivery of a single-aisle airliner after its acquisition by Tata Group. Air India has said that it will be ordering 250 Airbus aircraft to boost its domestic and international operations. The commitment includes 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft as well as 34 A350-1000 and six A350900 wide-body jets.
"Airbus has been a longstanding partner of Air India, and these new aircraft will play an important part in delivering Vihaan.AI, Air India's comprehensive transformation and growth strategy," said Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, of Air India.
"This is a historic moment for Airbus and for Air India. India is on the verge of an international air travel revolution and we are honoured that our partnership with the Tatas and our aircraft solutions will write that new chapter for the country's air connectivity," Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, had said.
The A321neo is the longest-fuselage member of Airbus' best-selling, single-aisle A320 Family, comfortably seating 180 to 220 passengers in a typical two-class layout, and as many as 244 in a higher-density arrangement.
The A320neo typically accommodates from 140 to 170 passengers, with a maximum capacity of up to 180 travellers.
Culinary delight onboard Al!
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Cruising Heights.
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This story is from the April 2023 edition of Cruising Heights.
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