Air India adds more seats on London route, to start new flights to other places

NEW DELHI : Air India Ltd. is trying to make itself more attractive to potential bidders by deploying a greater number of high-end seats for the lucrative London market and adding new flights by repairing grounded aircraft.

The carrier started using Boeing Co. 777 jets for flights to London from New Delhi this week, replacing the smaller 787 Dreamliner that now flies three times a week to Washington DC. The 777 offers four first-class and 35 business-class seats and can return from London the same day given it’s a 10-hour flight. The Dreamliner doesn’t offer first class and has fewer seats in the business section.

Air India’s Director of Finance Vinod Hejmadi said most of the 340 seats on the London flights are being filled, compared with fewer than 260 before. The airline already operates a 777 for the Mumbai-London route.