Air India Is Reportedly Leasing Six Boeing 777s For North American Operations

As a private #airline , #Air #India has undergone substantial changes in the past six months. The airline recently gained attention for its plans to increase flights to #Vancouver and bring back widebodies that had been grounded. And now it's been revealed that it wants to buy more 777s for its North #American operations right away.

According to reports, Air India wants to increase the number of flights it operates to North America by leasing six Boeing 777 aircraft in the coming months. The planes will be leased for two years and should arrive by October, according to Hindustan Times. They will be used for nonstop flights to the US and Canada virtually immediately.

The inadequate interiors of its current aeroplanes are cited as the main factor in the decision. Due to unserviceable seats that are inappropriate for customers, Air India has had to deal with numerous issues on long-haul flights.

A source with knowledge of the situation is quoted by HT as stating, It has been determined that the airline will lease six B777s to run its ultra-long-haul flights, taking into account the impact on airline operations. The aircraft will be used in addition to the present ones and are scheduled to arrive in October.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in demand for direct flights to the US and Canada as the COVID pandemic has became less severe. The leased aircraft will make AI's current North American trips more frequent and may perhaps add new destinations.

The company continues to place a high premium on direct flights to the US. Despite a high demand for such flights, Air India has been unable to add new US destinations. Simple Flying spoke with UK-based Rishi Jain of Jain Aviation Consultants on the possibilities of Air India in the US at the Future Flying Forum that was held the previous year.

According to Jain, Air India is eager to travel to LAX, Seattle, Dallas or Houston, and Boston in order to expand its network of destinations in the future. However, they don't currently have the necessary aircraft. Many of the airline's aircraft are in serious need of repair and haven't had any upgrades in a while. The announcement of leasing more 777s for long-haul flights comes as the airline gets ready to sell all three of its less fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.

Air India will make the necessary technical upgrades to its remaining grounded widebody aircraft in the interim so they are ready for service in 2019. The airline is thought to have nearly finalised an offer with Airbus for the Airbus A350 aircraft, which is expected to be its primary choice for widebody needs in the long run.