The first of the two VVIP aircraft Air India One on which the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister will hop-on for their foreign or domestic visits, will arrive in India on Thursday.
The government recently took delivery of two specially-modified Boeing 777-300ERs for VIP travel. These aircraft replace the aging Air India fleet of 747s which were previously used for official travel. The new Air India One comes with state-of-the-air defense systems and a brand-new interior. The plane will be used by the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister of India, along with other dignitaries. Later this year, India will receive two Boeing-777 jets in a VVIP configuration for the long-distance travels of the three senior government officials. The aircraft, popularly referred to as 'Air India One', will replace the ageing Boeing-747 jets of Air India's passenger fleet that are commandeered for the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Enjoy the chaos of this vlog flying Air India together! Check out my sponsor AWARDWALLET: (use code 'nonstopdan'. Air India One is not a plane but rather a callsign for any plane with the President, Vice President or Prime Minister on board. Some speculate that the new Boeing 777s being fitted with advanced defence systems and Air India likely to be sold off, it is entirely possible that as the 777s will be entirely operated by the IAF the “Air India One” callsign will he retired. This is not confirmed by the government and, at best, remains speculation. All these years four 747-400s, owned.
'The Special Extra Section Flight (SESF) aircraft for country`s VVIP is arriving today at Delhi`s International Airport,' sources in the government told ANI.
'A joint team of senior officers from National Carrier Air India, VVIP security personnel and senior government officials are on the way to the US to accept the delivery of the VVIP`s flight Air India One,' top government sources had then told ANI.
The plane is equipped with Advanced Electronic Warfare Suites which will not only protect aircraft from any kind of attack from the surface to air but also will be able to take countermeasures in case of an attack.
The new aircraft can fly over 17 hours continuously without landing in between for refueling.
Due to the advanced communication system fitted in the aircraft, Prime minister or the President will be able to communicate with the relevant ground staff through video or audio conferencing without the worry of being hacked or taped.
The New Boeing 777-300ERs will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not of Air India, as earlier.
The VVIP aircraft B-777 is a replacement of wide-body aircraft Boeing B-747 jumbo aircraft whose call sign is Air India One.
The interior design of the aircraft is very attractive, which was modified recently by Boeing, apart from other customisations.
'The aircraft has a big suit/cabin for the VVIP, a mini medical center has also been set up in the aircraft. It also has a standard space for the press. The rear seats are of the Economy class category while the rest of the seats are Business class. B777 aircraft can fly over 17 hours continuously,' informed the sources.
Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) will take care of the maintenance of the aircraft.The new Boeing 777 aircraft for VVIPs guest is also equipped with advanced defence systems and will be operated fully by IAF pilots in due course of time.
The colour of Air India Boeing 777 had been totally changed including changes to the design of the aircraft as per the recommendations and further approval by the Prime Minister`s Office (PMO).
Air India One (also referred to as AI-1[1] or AIC001) is the call sign of the aircraft with the President, Vice President or Prime Minister of India on board. Air India is the national airline of India.[2] The aircraft is operated as VVIP flight by the Indian Air Force (IAF).[3] The IAF's Air Headquarters Communication Squadron, based at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, is in charge of operating these aircraft. The new Boeing 777-300ER planes have arrived in India.[4]
Current fleet[edit]
Apart from the Boeing 747-400s owned by Air India and used on international state visits, the IAF currently owns four 14 seater Embraer 135, four 20 seater Embraer 145 and three customised 46 seater Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) that have a VIP cabin and are used for VIP movement. Of these the Boeing 747s are used by either the Prime Minister, President or Vice President when on official overseas visits.[5][6]
Each Embraer 135 is equipped with missile-deflecting systems, modern flight management system including global positioning system, as well as category II instrument landing system. These aircraft cost the IAF ₹1.4 billion (US$20 million) each.[6] The Three BBJs, named Rajdoot, Rajhans and Rajkamal cost the IAF ₹9.34 billion (US$130 million) each (₹7.34 billion (US$100 million) for the actual aircraft plus an additional ₹2 billion (US$28 million) for Self Protection Suites).[3][5] Self-protection suites include radar warning receivers, it also has highly trained commandos to protect the president/vice/prime minister, missile-approach warning and counter-measure systems. The aircraft has the capability to shoot chaff and flares to deviate radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles off their track along with other security tools. The other security instruments are undisclosed by the Indian Air Force.
The onboard electronics include about 238 miles of wiring (twice the amount found in a normal 747). Heavy shielding is tough enough to protect the wiring and crucial electronics from the electromagnetic pulse associated with a nuclear blast.[7]
The President is designated VIP 1, The Vice-President, VIP 2, and The Prime Minister, VIP 3. The BBJs have a four class configuration. For the President/Prime Minister, there is a separate enclosure in the aircraft which includes an office and a bedroom. Everyone aboard Air India One is required to wear a colour-coded identity card. Members of the official delegation (Joint Secretary level and above) are tagged in purple and sit in First Class while accompanying the VIPs. The accompanying officials (junior bureaucrats and support staff) are tagged in pink. The support staff, president's cooks and butlers join the security team from the Delhi police (not SPG) are tagged in red, while Journalists, sport a prominent Yellow tag.[8]
As they have become less cost-effective to operate, the Indian Air Force have replaced the present Boeing 747-400 with the Boeing 777-300ER. The planes in question have arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in New Delhi.[4]
| Aircraft | Number |
|---|---|
| Boeing 747-400 | 2 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 2 |
| Total Fleet | 4 |
Replacements[edit]
Two custom-made Boeing 777 planes, which will be used to fly the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister from July 2021, will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force and not of Air India. However, the new wide-body planes will be maintained by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), which is a subsidiary of the Indian national carrier, Air India[9]
The planes in question have landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in New Delhi as of 1 October 2020.[4]
Security Upgrade[edit]
The government of India has requested to buy two SPS consisting of LAIRCM Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite, Counter-Measures Dispensing System (CMDS) to protect two Boeing-777-300ER (white colour livery)
Head-of-State aircraft. This potential sale would include: twelve guardian laser transmitter assemblies… missile warning sensors.. counter-measures dispensing system..,' the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), that comes under the US department of defence, said in a statement, adding, 'Also included in this sale are Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites…'
Indian Air Force One (if AI is privatised) aircraft will be equipped with 'large aircraft infrared countermeasures (LAIRCM) self-protection suites (SPS) for an estimated cost of $190 million”. The US State Department has approved the 'foreign military sale' of two B777 LAIRCM SPS.[10]
Boeing had delivered the two B777 300 extended range (ER) to Air India in January 2018. The airline sent these two to Fort Worth in Dallas last summer for being retrofitted with the latest security and communication systems so that they can replace the over 26-year-old jumbo jets used by the president, VP and PM for long international flights. The two are with Boeing Defence for retrofitting with the latest security and communication systems. The two planes were expected to be in India by July 2020. Due to technological issues, the delivery date was deferred by more than a month.[11] First of these aircraft arrived in New Delhi on 1 October 2020, [12] while the second one arrived on 25 October.[13]
See also[edit]
- Air Force One - Official aircraft of the President of the United States of America
- Japanese Air Force One - Official presidential aircraft (currently two Boeing 777-300ER) of Japan
Air Force One Boeing
References[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air India One. |
Air India One Boeing 777 Interior
Air Force One 777
- ^'Air India One, Seat No 59G'. 26 September 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^'Manmohan Singh to travel in Air India One Agra'. Topnews.in. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ ab'April 1 date for President with business jets'. Zee News. 16 March 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ^ abcANI (1 October 2020). 'First VVIP aircraft 'Air India One' for President, PM to arrive today India News - Times of India'. The Times of India. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ ab'India's own Air Force One takes to the skies'. The Hindu. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ ab'VVIPs get their special jets'. 21 September 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ^'Know about Air India One! (Air India 1 – AI 1)'. Aviation Thrust. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^Nayyar, Dhiraj (26 September 2010). 'Air India One, Seat No 59G - Indian Express'. Indian Express. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^'IAF pilots to fly Modi on new 'Air India One' from next July'. The Week. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^'Upcoming Air India One to get massive security overhaul - Flying fortress'. The Economic Times. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^'Air India One from US deferred due to technical reasons'. Big News Network.com. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^'PM's new special aircraft, equipped with missile defence systems, lands in Delhi'. Hindustan Times. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^'Air India One: Second VVIP aircraft in Prime Minister and President's fleet arrives in Delhi'. Hindustan Times. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.