 Photo Copyright Air India Air India customers on selected US routes can now purchase tickets for the carrier’s new premium economy product. The seat will initially be available on Boeing 777-200LR flights from Bengaluru to San Francisco, Mumbai to San Francisco, and Mumbai to New York, with tickets sales now open for travel from May 15. It is understood that the 777 aircraft have been leased from Delta, and feature the US carrier’s Premium Select seating, as well as its business class Delta One product. Mr. Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India, said: “The popularity of Premium Economy has grown among travellers around the world, as people are increasingly opting for upgraded, yet affordable flying experiences. We are delighted to introduce a distinctive Premium Economy experience for our customers on select flights for now, with a plan to extend it to many more routes soon, as we rapidly expand and modernise our fleet. This is another step forward in our sincere, ongoing effort to transform Air India into a modern, global carrier of world-class products and service standards.” Air India’s Premium Economy will offer an exclusive travel experience designed for customers who do not mind paying a reasonable premium over Economy Class fares to fly in style and enjoy a lot more space, comfort, and convenience. Fast-track airport experience: Premium Economy customers will be able to check-in at dedicated counters and have priority tags affixed to their check-in baggage, and also be amongst the first to be invited to board the aircraft. Separate, spacious cabin with wider seats: Premium Economy class on Air India’s Boeing 777-200LR aircraft features 48 leather-upholstered, memory foam seats that have 19 inches of width, 38 inches of pitch, and 5 inches of recline with adjustable leg rest and footrest, and winged headrests. The seats provide extra legroom for customers to stretch out during flight, enabling customers to rest or work in comfort. Amenities: Premium Economy customers receive a complimentary, elegant TUMI amenity kit (specially designed for Air India) consisting of a pair of flight socks, an eye mask, MALIN+GOETZ lip moisturizer, and a pen, in addition to carpet slippers. Customers also receive noise-cancelling headphones for use during flight to complement the experience of Air India’s In-flight Entertainment (IFE) system. Onboard dining: Customers will be welcomed on board Air India’s Premium Economy class with a welcome drink served on an elegant silver tray and a menu card reflecting a glimpse of a delectable culinary experience during the flight. On board, customers will be able to choose from a delicious selection of three meal choices for the main course, served on fine chinaware casserole, accompanied by an appetizer and dessert. The drinks menu includes a fine selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  Photo Copyright Air India  Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, launched its first-ever non-stop flight to London Gatwick, from Amritsar today. It has now become the first and only Indian airline to operate at Gatwick Airport— the second-largest airport in the UK. The services to Gatwick are in line with Air India’s ongoing endeavor of enhancing connectivity between India’s major cities and leading global destinations to provide more choices to its passengers. Equipped with 18 Business class seats featuring fully-flat beds and 238 Economy class seats, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be operating three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Amritsar. In addition to the flights from Amritsar, Air India will operate 9 other weekly flights scheduled from Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi—making it a total of 12 weekly flights to Gatwick. These operations will reaffirm Air India's operations, presence, and network in the UK. In total, the airline now operates 49 flights in the UK per week— 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six flights to Birmingham. Air India also operates 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London from Delhi and Mumbai. The Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, General (Retd) V.K. Singh, and BJP National Secretary, Punjab, Mr. Tarun Chugh graced the virtual inauguration ceremony of the flight. They flagged it off along with Mr. Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Civil Aviation, and Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson. On the occasion, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, said, “It is a historic day for Amritsar and Punjab. This new connection will bring a new impetus to the state and provide key connectivity with the UK, bringing people closer. This will also boost trade and tourism and open up new employment opportunities.” Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia also commended Air India for the fleet acquisition plan and expressed hope that Air India will soon connect all the continents and make India the global hub of aviation. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, said, “As part of our five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, we plan to significantly enhance connectivity between India’s major cities and prime global destinations and be acknowledged as India’s Flying Ambassador to the world. These flights will also fulfil the growing demand for direct air connectivity from various important destinations in India to the UK and from the UK to these popular cities in India.”  Golden Temple, Amritsar: Photo Copyright Reuters About Amritsar
Amritsar is the largest city in the state of Punjab, in the north of India and is a major cultural centre for the country. The Sikhs’ main place of worship, the Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib, is located in the heart of Amritsar and is well worth visiting for spirituality. Alongside the Golden Temple, the city has many spiritual and historical locations, such as the Partition Museum, Wagah Border and the Shri Durgiana Mandir, which can all be explored. The Punjabi culture is unique and beautiful, and by visiting the Sadda Pind, which is a Punjabi Culture Living Museum, you have the opportunity to authentically witness the culture through folk dances, cultural performances, local handicrafts, songs, stories and the cuisine; it is an amazing experience for both the young and old, which can be experienced as a single day visit or a stay visit. Many festivals take place each year in Amritsar, and we highly recommend experiencing, as they’re filled with feasting, traditional music, dancing and fairs, producing a memory that’ll last a lifetime. Punjabi cuisine is recognized and enjoyed all around the world, with some of the best being found around Amritsar, where you can even try some of the city's own specialties.  Emirates Airline has given the world a new refreshed look. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Aircraft livery is the most instantly recognisable brand real estate for any airline. It’s a visual representation of our unique identity, something we wear proudly, and display in all the cities we fly to around the world. We’re refreshing our livery to keep it modern, without losing the key elements of our identity such as the UAE flag on our tailfin and the Arabic calligraphy.” Eagle-eyed plane spotters and fans will immediately notice changes to the tailfin and wingtips. In this latest design, the UAE flag on the Emirates tailfin is much more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork, and the wingtips have been painted red with the Emirates logo in Arabic calligraphy “popping” out in reverse white. Passengers onboard with a window view will see the UAE flag colours painted on the wingtips facing the fuselage. This is the 3rd iteration of Emirates’ official aircraft brand colours. The original livery unveiled with the airline’s launch in 1985 had its first refresh 14 years later, with the delivery of Emirates’ first Boeing 777-300 at the 1999 Dubai Airshow. The first aircraft to sport Emirates’ newest livery is A6-EOE, an Airbus A380, which has rolled out of Emirates Engineering this week after its makeover. Its first deployment will be to Munich on 17 March as flight EK51. The new livery will be gradually applied across the rest of the existing Emirates fleet with 24 aircraft, including 17 Boeing 777s, expected to sport the refreshed livery by the end of 2023. All new Emirates aircraft, from the first Airbus A350 entering the fleet in August 2024 will be delivered in this new livery. Emirates’ original livery in 1985 was designed by UK design company Negus & Negus. All of the airline’s subsequent aircraft colours were created by its inhouse design team. Over the years, Emirates’ numerous colourful and eye-catching aircraft livery have included bespoke designs to drive sponsorship brand association, and for special occasions such as the UAE’s 50th Jubilee livery, and Expo 2020 Dubai.  Watch timelapse video of the first aircraft receiving its new livery at Emirates Engineering in Dubai below:    
 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (“PIF”), announced the establishment of “Riyadh Air,” a PIF wholly owned company. The new national carrier will leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.
Riyadh Air will be chaired by His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, while Tony Douglas, who brings more than 40 years of experience in the aviation (Inc. ex CEO of Etihad Airways), transportation and logistics industries, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. The airline’s senior management will include Saudi and international expertise. Operating from Riyadh as its hub, the airline will usher in a new era for the travel and aviation industry globally. Riyadh Air will be a world-class airline, adopting the global best sustainability and safety standards across its advanced fleet of aircraft equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology. The airline is expected to add USD20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs. As a wholly owned PIF subsidiary, the new national airline is set to benefit from PIF’s investment expertise and financial capabilities while expanding on the company’s operations to become a leading national carrier. The new national airline represents PIF’s latest investment in the sector, along with the recently announced King Salman International Airport masterplan. Riyadh Air aims to enhance customers’ journey while connecting them to over 100 destinations around the world by 2030; through offering an exceptional experience with an authentic, warm Saudi hospitality at its heart. The airline will provide tourists from around the world the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural attractions. Riyadh Air will also serve as a catalyst for the Saudi National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the National Tourism Strategy by increasing air transport options, raising cargo capacity and, in turn, growing international passenger traffic. The establishment of Riyadh Air is part of PIF’s strategy to unlock the capabilities of promising sectors that can help drive the diversification of the local economy. It will enable a more financially resilient aviation ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, supporting the industry’s global competitiveness in line with Vision 2030. This is something special, and one airline to watch out for! |
 Navjot Singh inside an Airbus A320 cockpit of British Airways at Heathrow Airport About Airline PRThis is a special section on Airline Branding, and Airline Public Relations written by me on all the flights I have been fortunate enough to have been on. These are not records taken from somewhere else, but are actual flights I have been on. Most of the flight trips are officially sponsored by the airline companies in order to promote their certain routes, and aircraft. Airline promotion and PR related work in the aviation industry is one of my expertise. 
Navjot Singh at a Chinese Military Airfield
Watch exclusive videos below taken in the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300ER in-flight over Chinese Airspace.
Special thanks goes to Turkish Airlines B777-300ER Cockpit Video 1B777-300ER Cockpit Video 2
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