MUMBAI: National carrier Air India is set to fly its 423-seater, double-decker Boeing 747 aircraft to two key domestic destinations, Mumbai and Kolkata, starting October 16 to meet the demand during the festive season.
With 12 seats in first class, 26 in business and 385 in economy class, the `Jumbo' plane will operate one flight per day each to Kolkata and Mumbai from New Delhi between October 16 and October 21, Air India said in a statement.
Kolkata will be covered in the first phase and Mumbai in the second phase (November).
Generally, these four-engine planes are operated on international routes as well as for ferrying VVIPs.
Coincidentally, the year 2018 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Boeing 747 operations.
According to the airline, the first B-747 will operate as AI 887.
It will leave from Delhi at 0700 hours and arrive in Mumbai at 0910 hours.
On its return journey, it will be operated as AI 809 and will leave from Mumbai at 1040 hours to reach Delhi at 1245 hours.
The next B747 flight will operate as AI764, which will depart from Delhi at 1655 hours and reach Kolkata at 1910 hours.
The return flight, AI 023, will leave from Kolkata at 2050 hours and reach Delhi at 2255 hours, the airline said.
The Jumbo aircraft will also operate two flights per day daily on the Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi sector from November 1 to November 11 to cater to passenger demand during the Diwali season, the statement added.