Tourism Breaking News
- A350 will offer a new cabin product with full-flat beds in Business, a new Premium Economy experience along with comfortable, spacious seats in Economy
- Guests on this flight will experience Air India’s new soft product – Vista Verve
- Air India will also be introducing on board Wi-Fi soon, starting with the A350 on the Delhi-London Heathrow route
Air India, India’s leading global airline, has introduced its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. This twice-daily service is the first deployment of the ‘new Air India’ experience on long-haul flights and represents a significant milestone in the airline’s transformation program.
The Air India A350 cabin product includes a fresh three-class configuration offering full-flat beds in Business, a new Premium Economy experience and the latest generation seats in Economy. All guests enjoy the latest-generation inflight entertainment system offering more than 3000 hours of entertainment content, which will shortly be complemented by on board Wi-Fi.
Guests in Business and Premium Economy will also enjoy updated amenity kits exclusively designed by Ferragamo and TUMI, as well as Air India’s new soft product – Vista Verve – with new chinaware, tableware, glassware and bedding. Completing the experience, flight and cabin crew will don, for the first time, their new Manish Malhotra-designed uniforms.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Air India, said: “The deployment of the flagship A350s on the Delhi-London Heathrow route marks a significant milestone for Air India. It demonstrates Air India’s commitment to elevating the travel experience of our guests to truly world-class standards and to going beyond just meeting customer expectations as we continue to grow and renew our fleet.”
Air India’s A350 aircraft feature 28 private suites with full-flat beds in Business, 24 seats in a dedicated Premium Economy cabin offering extra legroom and other enhancements, and 264 spacious seats in Economy.
All seats on the A350 come with the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens that offer more than 3000 hours of entertainment content from around the world in 13 international and 8 Indian regional languages with a specific category for 100+ hours of content for kids.
With a menu that caters to both Indian and International palate, guests will be served delectable cuisine in an exquisite collection of chinaware with India-inspired designs for a luxurious and culturally rich dining experience.
Air India started inducting the A350s earlier this year, which have since operated flights within India and on short-haul international routes. The A350-900 will replace the currently deployed Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on 14 of 17 weekly flights. As a result, an additional 336 seats will be available on the Delhi-London Heathrow route each week.
The New Amenities
Exclusively designed First and Business class amenity kits by Ferragamo: Encased in a bespoke presentation bag with unique motifs, the new kits include Ferragamo body lotion, hand cream, lip balm, comfortable socks, a plush eye mask, and a specially designed Air India keepsake. The First-class kit additionally includes an Eau de Parfum.
Refreshed Premium Economy amenity kit by TUMI: The kit includes skincare essentials by the renowned Swedish label, Verso. On ultra long-haul flights passengers in Premium Economy class get an amenity kit that includes an eye mask, socks, and hand lotion, and are made using premium quality recyclable and reusable Kraft paper.
Comfortable sleepwear: First and Business guests will continue to enjoy Air India’s refreshed loungewear. Keeping style and sustainability as key considerations, Air India’s loungewear is made from blended with cotton for extra softness and breathability. First and Business guests will also enjoy plush velour slippers for maximal comfort in the sky.
Comfortable, sustainable, and luxe bed linen: Air India guests in First and Business will be provided specially made and designed linen, inspired by the airline’s new global brand identity. This includes plush bespoke duvets that are sustainable and lightweight, and mattress toppers crafted with premium multi-layer material, including a memory foam layer, that enhance long-haul sleep experience in the skies.
Wool-blended blankets: The blankets in Business class are made of premium wool blend, bespoke to Air India in its new identity. The delicate jacquard border and the motif are inspired by the traditional Sozni embroidery from Jammu & Kashmir. Premium Economy and Economy guests will enjoy the comfort and warmth in a twill weave cabin blanket designed to reflect the new brand elements.
New Chinaware for table setting and dining experience: The exquisite collection of chinaware blends lightweight and durable materials with subtle brand elements like the intricate Mandala patterns and India-inspired designs for a luxurious and culturally rich dining experience. The uniquely India-inspired, tiffin box-shaped, salt pepper cruet set in gold finish is sure to delight guests from around the world.
Glassware and Cutlery: Business Class guests will enjoy luxurious, lead-free glassware from Slovakia, which boasts infinite transparency, thanks to the use of a rare element of the highest quality erbium. Exquisite stainless-steel cutlery, featuring weight-saving hollow handles, will further elevate guests’ dining experience.
New In-flight Entertainment System
The full suite of the new IFE content features over 3000 hours of entertainment content across formats and genres, including 1400 hours of movies, 850 hours of TV, and 1000 hours of audio, for today’s discerning travellers.
The largest library of Indian content in the skies: Air India guests will be able to choose from over 300 Indian movies spanning decades and genres. The new content catalogue offers a rich spectrum of regional cinema with 120 Indian regional movies in eight languages, in addition to a host of popular and engaging web series and digital content.
Hollywood blockbusters: The Hollywood collection will cater to all tastes, offering close to 300 Hollywood movies, including BAFTA and Oscars-winning titles.
International favourites: Air India’s global cinematic repertoire spans 13 languages, including French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Slovenian, among others, featuring critically acclaimed films from around the world.
TV and digital content: Air India’s in-flight library boasts a staggering 1400+ episodes of Western, Indian and International TV shows and digital content, spanning an array of genres and categories. Guests will be able to enjoy content from ‘behind-the-wall’ as Air India’s new IFE will feature a selection from the biggest streaming and OTT platforms, including Paramount+, HBO, Sony Liv, Hulu, etc as well as an extensive library of content from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker etc topping it up with over 20 full series for the ultimate onboard binge.
Audio: Join RJs Malishka Mendonsa, Ginnie Mahajan, Salil Acharya, Archana Pania, Anuraag Pandey, and more for an exclusive auditory journey on Air India Radio, as they bring you celebrity interviews, artiste specials, trivia, and music. Don’t miss Cup O’ Tales, an Air India special edition podcast series featuring Ayaz Memon, along with a diverse range of other audio podcasts. Dive into our extraordinary music collection, offering over 1200 choices, including 190+ curated playlists, and an expansive album collection that spans genres and eras, from Pop and Rock to Jazz, Western Classical, Bollywood, Ghazals, Hindustani & Carnatic Classical, Indipop, Indian Regional, Relaxation and much more.
Kids Zone: Young flyers will enjoy an extensive selection of over 100 hours of curated audio and video content, divided into three dedicated sections: Pre-School, Kids, and Teens.
