Air India has just taken delivery of its first purpose-built wide body aircraft since being privatized four years ago, and I’d say that’s a pretty major milestone.
Continue reading: Air India’s New Boeing 787 Delivery Is A Major Milestone For The Airline
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Thank you Ben, I really like it when you publish an article mentioning AI, it brings out all the racist proletariat from their hiding places.
it's disappointing to no longer see the Safran Unity seats. but i agree with Ben, the best we can expect from AI is being "good enough” so that customers aren’t willing to connect via the Gulf region to avoid you"
I certainly won't be flying many miles on the reconstituted AI as a result, but this seems like a decent product in a pinch
Just a fun fact, but Singapore, ANA, Qantas are the remaining major carriers that have never operated with a herringbone configuration.
*While not their own, Turkish did operate Jet Airways' 777s for a while.
Long haul services may still be on older aircraft, but the domestic and regional narrowbody fleet (which 85% of the passengers actually fly) has been transformed with new interiors and an excellent new product. Around 80% of the fleet has been reconfigured (including AIX), so hardly "glacial". It is only North American routes that have largely been lower priority due to supply chain issues.
By "supply chain issues," are you referring to the fact that Boeing can't help but delay nearly all of its deliveries, while Airbus and Embraer still seem to manage just fine? Yeah, perhaps there are very real quality control issues over at Boeing, mostly due to their prioritizing of profits over lives.
Emirates, Thai, and Korean Air too. They all have 2-X-2 or staggered seats up front.
Still, it’s impressive to think that almost every single large airline has had herringbone seats at some point or another. I’d never thought about it!
Thai currently has some A350s and 787s with a herringbone configuration. And they'll apparently be the first customer for the Thompson Aero's Vantage Nova platform for their upcoming 777 refurbishment.
But yes, Korean Air is also on the list.
This blog has a very myopic view of the world. Ben doesnt really understand or care about AI as an airline - he's only interested in a small part of AI's operations and doesnt see the fact that the nearly the entire narrowbody fleet has been reconfigured.
1990, “Genghis Khan”, has turned over in his grave several times this century and is probably most content in his unknown resting place.
You mean another commercial airline for humans to contribute a disaster with casualties.
Save the obsolete jobs, keep human error going on.
Sean, I am sure that you are aware that the vast majority of Boeing’s supply chain issues are self inflicted. Last century when the accountants started to overrule sound engineering policies, they slowly drip fed the outsourcing to China. They also squeezed their U.S. outsourcing companies so hard that they in turn came to rely heavily upon cheaper components from China too. A loose, loose situation has developed.
Airbus on the other hand has kept their bean counters under better control.
I remember the excitement when the 777s and the original batch of 787s were brand new, and all the articles were heralding the dawn of a "new" AI. Fifteen years later both types haven't been maintained at all and are completely falling apart. Go even further back in time to the early 1990s and it was the same story with the 747-400 and the A310.
What's being done at AI to ensure this round of fleet renewal doesn't lead to the planes being completely trashed within a decade?
AI's problem isn't new or old planes but:
1. General lack of civic sense of Indians
2. AI's inability to maintain their aircrafts
3. Lack of professionalism from AI's crew
4. Management's inability to motivate their employees
Its been more than 4 years since the privatization and there are a lot of things in AI management's control that could and should have improved without new aircrafts. It is concerning that they haven't been able to do that.
Ben, apparently you don't read my comment. This is the 4th time I'm writing this comment, and I'll keep doing this until you clarify it.
Adient Aerospace was rebranded as "Elevate Aircraft Seating" last April 30. So it's "Elevate Ascent," not "Adient Ascent" anymore.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-seats
I guess you can say Swiss (if you consider them a major airline and if you classify the Swiss Senses as a staggered configuration and *not* a herringbone) and same thing with China Southern.
Is China Southern even a major carrier compared to the aforementioned?
Confucius also say... "Man with fly on testicles, learn violence not always answer."
Mike O, China Southern is mainland China's largest carrier, by a very wide margin. Comparing fleet size and virtually all other metrics, it would eat Swiss for breakfast, without a burp.
Looks great. Unfortunately no price is low enough to get me to fly Air India, Air France or Turkish. I know this is an irrational safety fear but I am too risk adverse. Amazing I leave the house really.
15 years ago the airline was government owned and now the airline is co-owned privately by the Tatas and Singapore Airlines. If that isn't a big enough change, I don't know what is.
Indigo seems to be doing good enough with their maintenance. AI with new management can probably do it.
Fair play. But their Recaro CL6710 seat is considered a herringbone, no? And same could be said for Swiss Senses, no?
Air India maintenance has a reputation of rob Peter to pay Paul. I would never fly Air India, no reason to risk your life.
actual control by Vistara is only a year ago, so still hope that Vistara culture and service will triumph over old Air India.
Recaro 6710 is classic staggered design as the seats alternate. Algeris/Swiss Sense is also very obviously staggered. Herringbone seats don’t alternate and they all face inward/outward at a certain angle.
AI was one of the best when Tata still controlled it. But once the government took over in late 70s, its downfall began.