Air India to deploy flagship new aircraft on Heathrow route

From 1 September, 14 of Air India’s Delhi services will be operated by new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which will be making its long-haul international debut for the airline.

The A350 brings an additional 336 seats a week on the route and a 24-seat premium economy cabin, offering a 38-inch seat pitch.

The A350 flights, which also feature 28 business class suites with sliding doors, will carry the flight numbers AI161, 162, 111 and 112. Other Delhi services will operate on Boeing 777-300ER and 787-8 aircraft as at present.

With its deployment, Air India will have upgraded 90% of all its flights to London Heathrow. Since April, Air India has deployed Boeing 777s with new cabin interiors and inflight entertainment systems on all Heathrow-Mumbai flights and restored a first class cabin, making it the only carrier to offer first class between the UK and India.

Campbell Wilson, Air India chief executive and managing director, said: “The deployment of our flagship A350s and the B777s with upgraded cabin interiors to London Heathrow marks a significant milestone for Air India. 

“It demonstrates our 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 renew our fleet.”