Revamped Air India One to take off later this year

NEW DELHI: Prime minister of the next government that gets voted into power on Thursday will have dedicated state-ofthe-art long haul aircraft from December this year.
First of the two Boeing 777s — currently being retrofitted in the US with the most advanced security gizmos, including missile warning and countermeasure dispensing systems, for the president, vicepresident and PM — will join the VVIP fleet this December and the second one within a month, sources said.
What’s more, four pilots of IAF are learnt to have begun training to fly the B777 for operating the VVIP flights. IAF has a fleet of Boeing 737 business jets that are used by VVIPs for short haul international flights.
Sources said Air India’s engineering arm will be maintaining these aircraft. The new planes will replace the over 27-year-old Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets that are currently used for VVIP state visits requiring medium to long haul flying. When not in on those state visits, the planes are used for flying both within India and to nearby places like Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
AI retrofits the jumbos for state visits by altering the seating arrangement of the aircraft’s lower deck. Seats from several sections are removed to make way for a bedroom — complete with beds and wardrobe — meeting room and a place to brief the media. While one B747 flies the VVIP, another one remains on standby to be flown in case the other develops a snag.