Custom-made B777 aircraft for VVIP travel arrives in India: All you need to know about Modi's high-tech plane

Air India One, one ofthe two highly customised wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 ERs, which will be used to fly President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, arrived in Delhi from the US on Thursday.

#WATCH: VVIP aircraft Air India One that will be used for President, Vice President & PM arrives at Delhi International Airport from US.

It is equipped with advance communication system which allows availing audio & video communication function at mid-air without being hacked. pic.twitter.com/4MtXHi8F9O

— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2020

  “Air India One is equipped with an advanced and secured communication system that allows availing audio and video communication functions mid-air without any worries of hacking or being taped,” sources familiar with the details told ANI. The two aircraft were initially scheduled to land in India early 2020 but it was delayed due to “operational issues”. The Boeing B777 planes will have state-of-the-art missile defence systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS), which is capable of countering missile threats. SPS includes large aircraft infrared countermeasures, counter-measures dispensing system and integrated defensive electronic warfare suite . These protection systems can jam enemy radar frequencies and divert heat-seeking missiles by disturbing their guidance systems. Both of them will be on par with the US President’s Air Force One in terms of security measures. During the travel of the VVIPs, the two B777 aircraft will be operated by pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not of Air India, a government official said. Air India had sent the two long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to a Boeing facility in Dallas to be modified for VVIP travel. Officials said the total cost of purchase and retrofitting the two planes has been estimated to be around Rs 8,400 crore. These two aircraft were part of Air India’s commercial fleet for a few months in 2018 before they were sent back to Boeing for retrofitting them for VVIP travel. Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), which is a subsidiary of the Indian national carrier, will be maintaining the two new planes. Currently, the president, vice president and prime minister, fly on Air India’s B747 planes, which have the call sign Air India One. With inputs from agencies