On December 6, Air India, India's flagship carrier, celebrated the delivery of the first of its planned order of 68 Boeing jetliners at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Boeing Next Generation 737-800 Commercial Jetliner arrived amidst traditional Indian revelry and the august presence of Shri. Praful Patel, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Independent charge) and Senior Air India officials.

The digitally designed Boeing 737-800 jetliner is part of the largest commercial airplane order in India's civil aviation history placed by Air India in December 2005. The brand new aircraft will be joining the existing fleet of Boeing 737-800's of Air India Express, a low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India.

Speaking at the occasion Mr. V. Thulasidas, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, said "The arrival of the Boeing Next Generation 737-800 is a significant landmark for Air India and is befitting that it coincides with the 75 year celebrations of Air India's glorious service. The 737's reliability, low operating costs and passenger comfort will provide value for both the airline and its customers. The induction of this and future aircraft into our fleet will support our mission of providing convenient routes at the most affordable prices to our passengers."

The airline is all set to navigate new heights once the merger with Indian is achieved by March 2007. It aims to become one of the largest and top five carriers in Asia. The delivery of the second B737-800 is expected by the third week of December, followed by three more aircrafts in January 2007.

"Today marks another great milestone in our partnership with Air India as it embarks on its strategic fleet renewal and expansion plan," said Dr. Dinesh Keskar, Vice President of Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Commenting on the plans for Air India Express, Capt. P.P Singh, CEO Air India Charters Ltd said "Air India Express started its operation in April 2005 and within a year, we have recorded impressive profits. A large group of customers are demanding low cost international flights; hence expanding the network is the best solution to tap this growing market. Now, with the arrival of the first Boeing 737-800, we aim to serve more middle eastern routes."

The eye-catching design of the Gateway of India and India Gate adorns the tail of the newly arrived B 737-800 ensuring that it instantly attracts attention. The aircraft with an all economy class configuration has a capacity to seat 180 passengers.