- A custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly the president, vice president and prime minister, has arrived in Delhi from the U.S.
- The plane was scheduled to be delivered by aircraft manufacturer Boeing to Air India in July.
- Air India One, which is the call sign of the aircraft.
- These two aircraft were part of Air India’s commercial fleet for a few months in 2018 before they were sent back to Boeing for retrofitting them for VVIP travel.
- The B777 planes will have state-of-the-art missile defence systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS).
- Currently, the president, vice president and prime minister, fly on Air India’s B747 planes, which have the call sign Air India One.
- The custom-made B777 planes will be used for travel of the dignitaries only.
- The Centre has already initiated the process of divestment of its stake in Air India, which has a debt of over ₹ 60,000 crore.
SRC: THE HINDU
