Air India is preparing to welcome its first Airbus A350 aircraft in December 2023, becoming the first Indian airline to operate this advanced widebody jet. The A350 will allow Air India to compete with the Gulf carriers and offer more non-stop flights to long-haul destinations with its longer range and higher capacity.

The airline has ordered four A350s, which are part of a larger deal of 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, including 70 widebodies. The airline has already received some A320s, A321 NEOs and Boeing 737 MAX8s from the order.

Air India trains its staff for A350 operations

The airline has been training its pilots, cabin crew and engineers for the A350 operations around the world. The first A350-900, which will also feature Air India’s new livery, was originally meant for Aeroflot but was cancelled due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Therefore, it will not have Air India’s new interiors, which will be seen from August 2024 onwards.

Six sets of pilots have completed their simulator training in Singapore, and two more sets will be trained each month. The pilots are also trainers who will train other pilots in-house. Airbus is providing simulator training slots in Singapore, Toulouse and Miami. Air India will also get its own simulators for the A350, which will be installed at its upcoming training academy.

A batch of cabin crew trainers have also finished their training at Toulouse, France. They will train other cabin crew members in India. The cabin crew will also practice on a “door trainer” in Singapore, which is a mock-up of the aircraft’s doors. Air India has also ordered door trainers for its own use.

Three batches of engineers, from Air India, Vistara and AIX Connect, have completed training sessions at the Airbus facility in Toulouse. They have also learned about structure assessment and engine run-up. Some engineers have also partnered with Singapore International Airline’s maintenance arm, SIA Engineering Company, to get hands-on experience of A350 maintenance. Airbus has also provided review meetings to offer technical support and guidance.

Air India plans to deploy A350 on long-haul routes

The A350 will not be immediately used on ultra-long haul routes such as the US. It will first undergo DGCA evaluation for about 20 days, after which it will fly domestically for some time for crew familiarisation purposes. The airline plans to use the A350 on long-haul routes such as Europe, Australia and Japan, where it can leverage its superior performance and efficiency.

The A350 can carry up to 325 passengers in a three-class configuration, and fly up to 15,000 km without refuelling. The A350 also offers a more comfortable and quieter cabin, with larger windows, mood lighting and lower cabin altitude.