Air India quietly accepted delivery today of its first Boeing 787 following months of bureaucratic delays and an unrelated engine failure during ground tests.
Air India has ordered 27 787s powered by the General Electric GEnx-1B configured with 256 seats, including an 18-seat business class.
Boeing completed the airline's first 787 in May, but delivery was first delayed over protracted negotiations and Indian government approvals on compensation payments.
In late July, one of the Air India's 787s experienced a contained engine failure during ground taxi tests. The National Transportation Safety Board has traced the failure to a crack in the fanshaft connecting the low-pressure turbine to the fan and booster stages. An investigation into the root cause of the failure is still ongoing.
Air India becomes the fifth airline to accept delivery of a 787 and the third new airline within a month, following Ethiopian Airlines and LAN.
Air India can deploy the 787 on routes to areas including the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia, Boeing says.
The 787 is scheduled to fly to New Delhi from North Charleston, South Carolina on 7 September.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
