The country's President, Vice President and Prime Minister's aircraft will now have state-of-the-art missile defense systems and will be flown by Airforce pilots, not Air India pilots. Government carrier Air India is also training Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots to fly the new Boeing 777 aircraft. The country's top leadership, including PM Narendra Modi, will travel by B777 aircraft from July 2020.
American B777 aircraft being built at the US plant will be equipped with Large Aircraft Infrared Counter Measures (LAIRCM) and Self Protection Suits (SPS). They will come to India on July 2020. This will be the first time that the pilots of 'Air India One' who carry these top diagnostics will not belong to Air India. Although the pilots are changing these aircraft, the maintenance team is Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL). Also, the Air India crew will provide service inside the aircraft as before.
Air Force pilots are taking training
Air India pilots, currently trained to fly B777 aircraft, are training Air Force pilots at Kalina Training Center in Mumbai. The official said that 4-6 pilots of the Air Force have been trained by Air India for the B777 aircraft. Some other Air Force pilots will also be trained soon.
That's why training of Air Force pilots is necessary
A senior Air India officer said, "Air Force pilots are trained, but they are specialized in flying warplanes or some special aircraft of the Air Force, but the new Boeing 777 aircraft which will be used for traveling to VVIPs, are of a skilled type. These are aircraft. That is why Indian Air Force pilots have to take training in commercial aircraft.
New aircraft will not have commercial use
Currently, Air India has a Boeing 747 aircraft for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. The aircraft is named 'Air India One' and is flown by Air India pilots. When these B747 aircraft do not fly for dignitaries, Air India uses them for commercial operation, but from July 2020, two brands, the New Boeing 777, will be used for these VVIPs. The new aircraft will only be used to visiting dignitaries.
