New Delhi: Two custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, are likely to be delivered by Boeing to Air India by September, officials told ETV Bharat on Monday.
According to official sources, the three dignitaries who presently fly in Air India's Boeing-747 planes will now be flying in the refurbished B777-300ER. These highly customised aircraft are being fitted with advanced defence systems and reconfigured cabin.
The new aircraft, popularly referred to as 'Air India One' was expected to be commissioned by July only, but due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Boeing will likely deliver these aircraft by September end, a senior official told ETV Bharat.
These planes were taken from Air India's fleet in 2018 and were for modifications at Boeing's facility in Dallas (USA). These aircraft are retrofitted with advanced military defence systems which will protect our dignitaries from aerial attacks. The government has also opted for the state-of-the-art missile defence systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS) to be fitted into the aircraft, officials said.
These two Boeing-777 aircraft will be operated by Air India pilots. Recently, Air India has handpicked 40 of its senior-most pilots, who will be reputed to fly the customized aircraft to be used the three dignitaries. These aircraft will be maintained by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIDEL), the subsidy of the national carrier, officials added.
Reportedly, the Centre has already initiated the process of divestment of its stake in Air India, which has a debt of over Rs 60,000 crore. However, the process has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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