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Air India’s new flagship aircraft will make its much-anticipated US debut later this year.

The New Delhi-based carrier announced on Monday that it will fly its new Airbus A350-900 from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to New York’s John F. Daily flights to Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will begin on November 1. On January 2, 2025, Air India will deploy the A350 from DEL to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on a five-times-weekly basis.

Air India’s Airbus A350 is not only a new, modern and more fuel-efficient aircraft, but also offers a more upgraded passenger experience from nose to tail.

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It starts in Business Class, where travelers will enjoy direct aisle access from private suites arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each pod features sliding doors, a 21-inch high-definition touchscreen TV, multiple storage compartments, power outlets and more. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed with the push of a button.

The A350 also features a premium economy cabin, which will be deployed for the first time on flights from New Delhi to New York. This premium economy cabin is arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration with recliners with space for each passenger. These seats offer 38 inches of pitch and are 18.5 inches wide with an 8 inch recline.

In many ways, these premium economy seats resemble domestic first-class recliners. They also offer winged headrests, leg rests and a large 13.3-inch high-definition touchscreen TV.

Not only will business-class and premium economy passengers enjoy upgraded seats, but they’ll also get enhanced amenities from Ferragamo and Tumi once onboard. Air India recently updated its amenity kit from top-tier international brands and introduced new chinaware, glassware and bedding for premium travelers.

Finally, the economy cabin on Air India’s A350 has 264 seats in an industry-standard 3-3-3 configuration. Each 17.5-inch-wide seat has 31 inches of pitch and 6 inches of recline. Every economy passenger also enjoys a 12-inch high-definition touchscreen TV with hundreds of hours of on-demand entertainment options.

Since the beginning of the year, Air India has taken delivery of six Airbus A350s. The jets were originally intended for Aeroflot, but international sanctions prevented the Russian airline from taking delivery of the planes.

Instead of letting these A350s just sit in the desert, Air India opportunistically picked them up. Although these planes feature the aforementioned cabin upgrades, the rest of Air India’s A350 fleet will feature a different but still more improved product.

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To date, Air India has deployed the A350 on domestic routes in India and flights from New Delhi to Dubai. While this is a treat for short-haul travelers, the A350 is designed for ultra-long-haul flights.

From September 1, Air India will start flying A350 from DEL to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). And in the coming years, airlines are expected to launch many more A350 destinations. Finally, the airline has 34 more Airbus A350s on order with Airbus, 20 of which are for the larger A350-1000 variant.

Air India is undergoing a massive transformation after the privatization of the airline. Perhaps the biggest news is that the airline has ordered 470 new jets to modernize the fleet. We’re starting to get glimpses of Air India’s future, and it’s looking brighter than ever in this 2020 TPG review of the airline’s business class.

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