Two new B-777 will replace the over 27-year-old Boeing 747 jumbo jets

B-777 will be used as the next VVIP planes for being flown by the president, VP and Prime Minister. Making these planes fit for this high security duty will take about a year

by Saurabh Sinha

NEW DELHI: American aircraft major Boeing will deliver two brand new B-777 to Air India this month, which will be used as the next VVIP planes for being flown by the president, VP and prime minister on their medium to long foreign trips. Once retrofitted with state-of-the-art security and communication systems, these two will replace the over 27-year-old Boeing 747 jumbo jets which have flying our top VVIPs across the globe. Making these planes fit for this high security duty will take about a year.

"The government is deciding who will operate these two B 777-300 extended range as AI, which as the pilots, engineers and expertise for operating this type of aircraft, is soon going to be sold off. A call will be taken if the Indian Air Force (IAF) should have the planes in its fleet with the required infrastructure," said a senior government official.

So it remains to be seen if our VVIP plane is known as IAF 1 or AI 1. Till that call is taken, these planes could be sent to Boeing in US for VVIP retrofitting and high-end security fixtures like anti-missile systems apart from latest communication equipment so that they can serve as flying PMOs when the PM is on board.