The Hindustan Times reported on Thursday that two customised Boeing-777 jets—meant to carry the prime minister, president and vice-president—will reach India by the end of September. The publication reported that the first Boeing-777 will reach by August-end, followed by the second one a month later.
Air India One: Custom-made B777 plane for VVIP travel arrives in India; to be used to fly President, Vice President and PM Air India One, which is the call sign of the aircraft, landed at the Delhi airport from Texas on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi to soon fly in custom-made aircraft Boeing 777 'Air India One'. The New Boeing 777-300ERs will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not of Air India, as.
These aircraft were purchased by the government from Air India, which operated them for less than three years. Last year, the US government approved a $190 million contract to upgrade these jets with missile-defence systems to protect them from both radar-guided and infra-red-guided (also known as heat-seeking) missiles. The aircraft are being converted to VVIP configuration at a Boeing facility in Dallas.
The Boeing-777 will be equipped with conference rooms, extensive communication equipment and would have the range to fly from India to the US without landing for refuelling. Referred to as 'Air India One', the two Boeing-777 jets will replace Boeing-747 jets of Air India that were being used for transporting the three senior-most officials on overseas trips.
Boeing has sold VVIP jets to many countries, including, most well known of all, the Boeing-747 that uses the 'Air Force One' call sign when carrying the US president. In 2015, the US Air Force selected an upgraded version of the Boeing-747 as the next presidential aircraft.
Less well-known is the fact that a Boeing VVIP jet was once embroiled in a scandal. In January 2002, media outlets reported that China had found listening devices on a Boeing-767 aircraft that had been customised for transporting then Chinese president Jiang Zemin. China had purchased the Boeing-767 aircraft in June 2000 for $120 million; the aircraft was originally meant for a Chinese airline. The aircraft was customised by US companies in San Antonio.
At the time, The Washington Post reported, 'The Chinese source said that, to date, 27 listening devices had been found, including devices in the presidential bathroom and in the headboard of the presidential bed.' The publication quoted officials as saying the devices were highly sophisticated and they 'had to be triggered by a satellite communication'.
At the time, China detained around 20 officials of its air force who were involved in negotiations for the Boeing-767 VVIP jet. The Chinese government reportedly sold off the jet for passenger use.
In 2003, The New York Times reported the US National Security Agency had masterminded the bugging of the Boeing-767. “The National Security Agency, the supersecret eavesdropping agency, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other intelligence organizations, led an operation to plant bugs in a Boeing-767 used by the president of China while it was in the United States for refitting,” The New York Times reported.
Pm Modi New Boeing 777
However, China did not give much publicity to the scandal and has continued to use Boeing aircraft for VVIP use. Current President Xi Jinping, for instance, uses a Boeing-747 of Air China for some international trips.
A US-based aviation photographer has clicked what appears to be the first image of the VVIP Boeing-777 jet that India is buying for the use of the prime minister, president and vice president.
Modi Boeing 777-200
Pity about the livery though 😴
Modi Boeing 777 Jet
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 3, 2020Later this year, India will receive two Boeing-777 jets in a VVIP configuration for the long-distance travels of the three senior government officials. The aircraft, popularly referred to as 'Air India One', will replace the ageing Boeing-747 jets of Air India's passenger fleet that are commandeered for the use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.
The photograph of the VVIP Boeing-777 for India was taken by Andy Egloff, a flight dispatcher with American Airlines in Grapevine, Texas. In the description of the photograph on the aircraft photography site Jet Photos, Egloff said the aircraft was photographed on final approach to the runway of Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, after a flight from 'SBD', an apparent reference to the San Bernardino International Airport in California.
The VVIP Boeing-777 photographed by Egloff had a predominantly white livery, with the words India and Bharat (in Hindi) written on the fuselage. The aircraft also has an impression of the national flag painted across the lower fuselage.
The two VVIP Boeing-777 jets were taken from Air India's fleet in 2018 and sent to the US for modifications, including installation of missile defence systems and advanced communications gear. The Boeing-777 jet photographed by Egloff had a distinctive bulbous 'hump' atop the forward fuselage, which may be intended to house satellite communication gear. The well-known 'Air Force One' Boeing-747 used by the US president has multiple such installations to ensure secure communications.
The Indian Air Force's current fleet of Embraer VVIP jets, used for short-haul flights, also have a predominantly white livery. However, the livery for the Boeing-777 caused disappointment for some on Twitter. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was among them. Commenting on an image of the VVIP Boeing-777 last week, Abdullah tweeted 'Pity about the livery though'.
Meanwhile, officials on Monday said the two VVIP Boeing-777 jets are likely to be delivered to Air India by September. The two Boeing-777 aircraft will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force and not of Air India.
However, the new wide-body planes will be maintained by Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), which is a subsidiary of the Indian national carrier, the officials said.
In addition to its highly improved self-defence equipment, the VVIP Boeing-777 would be able to fly long-distance routes, such as from India to the US, without a refuelling stop. The current Boeing-747 fleet is incapable of doing so.