Centre hunts for replacement of PM Narendra Modi's VIP plane

[$@rJen]

Airbus A380 will be good

And copy past the Paint from MKI

Awesome

 

[sancho]

Maybe we should acquire Airbus A380 in VVIP configuration replacing the 747.

Far too big and too costly for that use, but it's indeed a nice view. My choice would be A330 NEOs in a joint order with the A330 NEO MRTTs, jointly operated and maintained by IAF. Proven, cost-effective, with improved performance, more than enough space and with less risks of US bugs.

Didnt the PM have an Embraer?

The regional aircraft fleet includes smaller Embraer jets, but this is more about foreign visits and intercontinental flights.

 

[C130]

Far too big and too costly for that use, but it's indeed a nice view. My choice would be A330 NEOs in a joint order with the A330 NEO MRTTs, jointly operated and maintained by IAF. Proven, cost-effective, with improved performance, more than enough space and with less risks of US bugs.



The regional aircraft fleet includes smaller Embraer jets, but this is more about foreign visits and intercontinental flights.

U.S bugs??? you mean the battery fires and ice on the engines?

 

[Gandhara]

U.S bugs??? you mean the battery fires and ice on the engines?

a US planes comes with tons of CIA/NSA snooping instruments. It might cost Indians millions to clear all those bugs.
Better India go for Airbus.

 

[C130]

a US planes comes with tons of CIA/NSA snooping instruments. It might cost Indians millions to clear all those bugs.
Better India go for Airbus.

you think our claws don't reach Airbus either

 

[Gandhara]

you think our claws don't reach Airbus either

France and India has long standing defense ties I am sure French will honor their agreement and not let USA agencies snoop in. Rafale, Scorpions subs are an example of that, India trusts France.

 

[sancho]

U.S bugs??? you mean the battery fires and ice on the engines?

Hehe that too, but I meant the other once.

 

[Abingdonboy]

NEW DELHI: Will the President and Prime Minister soon be flying long overseas trips aboard Air India One or Air Force One?

The government is in the process of finding a replacement to the over two-decade-old Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets of Air India that have been used for long distance VVIP flights. But before the successor to the original "queen of the skies" (B-747) is found, a panel of secretaries of top ministries like defence, finance, aviation, external affairs, home along with brass of the special protection group will this month meet to address two key issues — whether the new plane should be two-engine or four-engine and whether AI or Indian Air Force should be operating and maintaining the chariot of the sky.

"There is a huge price difference in the price of twin-engine and four-engine jets. So there is the obvious financial angle," said highly placed sources.

The IAF maintains and operates a fleet of Boeing Business Jets for use by top VVIPs like President, Vice-President and Prime Minister for flying within India and to neighbouring countries. "The secretaries will decide whether the new aircraft should be with AI or IAF. If they decide in favour of the IAF, then the defence establishment will decide the successor aircraft. Else, civil aviation authorities will take a technical call on which plane is best suited for the VVIPs," said the source.

View attachment 144912
Prime Minister Narendra Modi boarding the special Air India plane on his way to Japan earlier this year.

The final decision will be taken by the highest echelons of the government. However given the long-distance requirement, the choice for both the defence and civil aviation authorities is going to be limited to the options from Boeing and Airbus.

The four-engine options from Boeing are the four-engine B-747 and two-engine B-777 and B-787. Incidentally, AI already has both the long range (LR) and extended range (ER) versions of the Boeing 777, apart from the constantly snag-ridden Dreamliners (787).

The B-777s had been inducted into AI's fleet after 2007, and the Dreamliners are brand new with many yet to be delivered to the airline. The B 777-300 ER and B-787 compare favourably to the fuel-guzzling B-777 200 LR. AI is, in fact, getting rid of the LRs as keeping it on ground is less loss-making than flying it due to its abysmally poor fuel efficiency.

View attachment 144913
President Pranab Mukherjee arriving at Chennai airport in a special Indian Air Force plane. (TOI file photo)

Sources do not rule out the possibility of using AI's wide body Boeing planes as the next VVIP jet with certain changes as they are already in the fleet and do not have to be bought afresh. Even if the government decides in favour of IAF maintaining and operating the next VVIP Jet, the same can be transferred from AI to IAF, reducing the Maharaja's loan.

The other options are from Airbus — four-engine A-340 and two-engine A-330, apart from the under development A-350.

The current list price of Boeing's long range jets goes from Rs 2,282 crore for a brand new B-747-8 to Rs 1,352 crore for a B 787-8. Airbus long range jets' current list price goes from Rs 2,112 crore for A-350-1000 to Rs 1,375 crore for A-330-200. (Calculations at Rs 62 to a dollar).

"AI's old B-747s are still trustworthy. The only issue is that their old engine and body frame make them fuel guzzlers. The fuel efficiency of new planes is obviously much better. It is just like comparing a well-maintained old car with a new one that boats of latest technology, comfort along with fuel efficiency," said a source.

I'm hoping that the IAF gets full ownership over the replacement to the AI-747s just like the IAF's BBJs and EMB-145s. The current arrangement for borrowing active AI 747s is filled with risk and downsides. If the plane is in the IAF's possession they can ensure the physical security of it 100% of the time, they can account for every single hour of maintenance done on the plane and just be being a dedicated IAF plane it will be flown less and be safer to fly the very top leadership of India.

Also would prefer a four engined plane but there aren't too many of those around these days....

Maybe we should acquire Airbus A380 in VVIP configuration

Far, far too big. Not only would many airports around the world not be able to support such a mammoth plane but there simply is no need for such a beast and all that space.

Also, the chance of two engines failing is incredibly remote. Not sure thats even happened ever.

Hudson river incident (I know a bird strike but still).

maybe in reguards to a SAM/Manpad attack would a 2 engine jet fair any better than a 4 engine one?

Of course these planes would have a full self defence suite anyway.

he is telling bureaucrats not to use privileges aur khud naya jahaz mangwa raha hai. The air India one is not old yet and can serve 10 years more.

That's entirely different, the security of the democratically elected PM of India is paramount.

Didnt the PM have an Embraer?

The VVIP squadron of the IAF do have EMB-145s but they are mostly used for the service chiefs or Defence minister, for domestic flights the PM will use the BBJs and the Embraers can't fly internationally so I doubt the PM will ever use them.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Hudson river incident (I know a bird strike but still).

SSA.

A flock of geese if going to take out two engines, is also going to take out 4

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Who said that?



is new PM ke shauk thodey badey hai

You don't even have to pretend to be modest. Main soch raha tha, technically we're still bhukey and nangey.

 

[mike2000]

France and India has long standing defense ties I am sure French will honor their agreement and not let USA agencies snoop in. Rafale, Scorpions subs are an example of that, India trusts France.

you think our claws don't reach Airbus either

Ah ah ah ah. Couldn't have said it better bro. Kudos

 

[acetophenol]

Thats what I was going to ask, statistically, is there any support to the argument that 4 engine modern planes are any safer than 2 engine?

Also, the chance of two engines failing is incredibly remote. Not sure thats even happened ever.

Lastly, all two engine planes are certified to fly and land on one engine.

This is not to say that when I'm flying and I look out the window and I see two engines on the wing I don't feel better :p

Well,4 is greater than 2,we are not talking about a commercial airlines here,we are talking about the most valuable citizen of the country.

-Even if saboteur comes to sabotage the engines,he will have to sabotage 4 engines instead of 2
-More number of heat seeking missiles to take down a 4 engines plane than a 2 engined one

 

[Screambowl]

You don't even have to pretend to be modest. Main soch raha tha, technically we're still bhukey and nangey.

hahaha yes we are, muh se gali yahi nikalti hai. But why suddenly a demand of a new aircraft? seems like he will invest 746 crores coming from black money from abroad ,on his aircraft

 

[deepak.chauhan2312]

Who said that?



is new PM ke shauk thodey badey hai

the new airplane is a pending issue for long and It is time to a change.This is not the first time this hunt started but got postponed may be it will happen again

 

[SR-91]

hahaha yes we are, muh se gali yahi nikalti hai. But why suddenly a demand of a new aircraft? seems like he will invest 746 crores coming from black money from abroad ,on his aircraft

lol