Air India, India’s leading global airline, commenced flights on the busy Delhi-Dubai route using its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft in the airline’s bold new livery.

With this, Air India’s flagship aircraft marked its international debut and Air India becomes the only carrier to operate the A350 between India and Dubai. 

Air India celebrated the occasion with pre-departure ceremonies, with guests at both airports presented with A350 memorabilia.

At Dubai airport, Mr Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India, Dubai, Mr Jamal Al Hai, Deputy CEO, Dubai Airport and Mr Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, Director General, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority lit the ceremonial lamp the inaugurate the aircraft’s first departure from Dubai.

Air India’s A350-900 aircraft features a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats: 28 private Business suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats with extra legroom and other amenities, and 264 spacious Economy seats. All seats on the aircraft feature the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens that offer more than 2,200 hours of entertainment content from around the world. 

Air India started inducting the A350s earlier this year as part of the 470 new aircraft order that Air India placed a year ago.

Air India currently operates a total of 72 flights a week to Dubai from five Indian cities, of which 32 flights are from Delhi.