Ahoy! Watch the ‘Dream’ take wing

The landing of the Air India’s (AI) latest addition to its fleet at the old airport in Kalina on Thursday morning had everybody up on their toes. The ambience instantly charged up even when national carrier AI’s  Boeing 787 Dreamliner was sighted from afar.

When the state-of-the art flying machine landed, it took the  breath away of around 600 AI staff members, security personnel and visitors who stood near the runway. Many rushed to take its pictures on their cellphone cameras.

On the runway, the Dreamliner was welcomed with the traditional water cannon spray from both sides and a huge applause. Captain AS Soman and Captain Amitabh Singh who flew the aircraft from Delhi were greeted with the customary showering of flowers. “It’s a gift to the nation. I am sure passengers will be delighted to travel in it,” beamed Soman.

That the Dreamliner is superior to other commercial aircraft will be obvious as soon as a passenger enters the cabin. Among many features, the plane boasts of LED lighting, which offers several soothing colours and is expected to enhance the mood. The aircraft crew pointed out that the windows are larger and their light setting can be adjusted as per desire. “The special photochromatic gel in between two layers of glasses of the window does the trick,” chuckled Lepcha SF, a cabin instructor.
The aircraft had arrived in Delhi from its factory in the US last Saturday. Twenty-six more such aircraft will be delivered in phases till 2016, said an official.

The Dreamliner has been pegged as a game-changer for the lumbering airline company, which has had its own share of controversies in the recent past.