This is the first of two B 777 aircraft purchased by the IAF to carry VVIP
New Delhi:
A custom wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft with self-defense and lockdown functions to be used to carry the President, Vice President and Prime Minister flew from the US to India today.
The white VVIP aircraft, two of which have been purchased for more than Rs 8,400 crore, landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly after 3pm this afternoon.
Whenever the president and prime minister traveled long distances abroad in the past, they relied on an Air India Boeing 747.
But these planes are now more than 20 years old and do not have secure communication equipment or sensors to detect and block hostile threats like surface-to-air missiles.
These two B 777s that have now become part of the VVIP fleet were being operated by Air India, albeit briefly, before they were flown back to the US and modified. They will now be operated exclusively by Indian Air Force pilots who are training on the type of aircraft today.
The second modified B 777 is likely to arrive in a few weeks.
In its civilian avatar, Boeing says its 777 has a unique combination of superior range, outstanding fuel efficiency and passenger-preferred comfort.
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