Many wars have been fought over it, literally. From court rooms to labour commissioner’s office, from the civil aviation ministry to the Prime Minister’s office (PMO), from Mumbai to Delhi, the last 58-day strike by some sections of Air India pilots was all about Boeing 787 training and the career progression associated with it. It was only in July that the matter between Air India (AI) and some pilots was put to rest. The aircraft is a technological marvel.
After standing for one-and-a-half hours under the sun, without water, we got a chance to go inside the aircraft. Was it worth the wait? Not if one was expecting it to be extremely colourful, bright and beautiful. On the face of it, this big flying machine looked like any another aeroplane. However, we soon realised why it was considered to be the most advanced bird in the sky. Right from the entrance, one can notice the decorative ceiling. The cabin has LED lights and the windows are larger than any other commercial aircraft. The cabin is pressured to a maximum 6,000 feet\1,800 meter compared to as high as 8,000 ft\2,400 meter for other aircraft, which causes less fatigue at higher altitude. Besides that, the Dreamliner is the first aircraft built of composite material, which resists fatigue and corrosion and makes it easier to maintain. The aircraft has two-Gen X engines that allow it to fly farther, faster, cleaner and quieter. Air India will save 30% of the total fuel cost compared to a Boeing 777 and 15% less as compared to Airbus 330.
