Air India is set to embrace the first Boeing South Carolina 787 Dreamliner on Wednesday, and is expecting the delivery of a fleet of the jet airliners in the coming week.
Candy Eslinger a spokeswoman for the local plane-making plant confirmed the delivery of the flights. "What I can tell you right now is that the Air India delivery team is here in South Carolina for the delivery that's scheduled for next week," Eslinger told The Post and Courier.
Air India had initially placed the order for the 787 Dreamliner in 2005, but technical and supply issues that cropped up during the compensation deal postponed the delivery of twin-engine jet airliner. The delivery was delayed further after a failure was reported in the Dreamliner's General Electric-made engine during a preflight taxi test earlier in July.
After weeks of negotiation, the airline sector will now see a fuel-efficient aircraft which can carry as many as 250 passengers over a maximum distance of 15,200 kilometres. The new aircraft will initially be used on domestic routes for around two months before being introduced to international routes.
According to The Post and Courier, planes would be delivered in intervals of seven-to-ten days following the launch of first airline next week. Air India, which ordered for 27 planes, hopes to get them all the by 2016.
Meanwhile, the 787 Dreamliner, which is heralded as "a piece of 21st century technology" received a good welcome at Lagos airport in Nigeria on Saturday.
