New Delhi: Custom-made VVIP Boeing-777 aircraft, which will be used to fly President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has landed in India after a 15-hour non-stop journey from Texas (USA) to New Delhi.
Air India One was scheduled to arrive in India by August but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and some technical glitches, the delivery of VIP aircraft had got delayed. In August, a team of senior officers from Air India, IAF and security agencies had gone to the US to complete formalities and bring the aircraft to India but they found technical issues and the rectification work took few more weeks for its delivery.
The officials confirmed that the aircraft will be operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and not Air India. After their arrival, these planes will be de-registered by Air India and handed over to the IAF. According to officials, another custom-made B777 plane for the travel of VVIP is likely to be received from Boeing in a few months.
These planes were taken from Air India's fleet in 2018 and were for modifications at Boeing's facility in Dallas (USA) for VVIP travel, by the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister. The three dignitaries -- who presently fly in Air India's Boeing-747 planes that have the capability of flying for only 10 hours -- will now be flying in the refurbished B777-300ER, which can fly for 17 hours non-stop.
The new plane Air India One is equipped with most advanced sophisticated technologies, military defence systems and reconfigured cabin. These highly customised aircraft includes Self Protection Suites (SPS) and Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) dispensing system which allows the aircraft to detect and jam incoming missiles.
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