A long grounded wide body aircraft belonging to Air India has finally returned to the skies after more than five years out of service. The Boeing 777 aircraft, registered as VT-ALL, recently completed a successful test flight. This marks a major step towards rejoining the airline’s operational fleet.
The aircraft was originally sent to a maintenance facility in Nagpur in February 2020 for a routine C-check. This type of heavy maintenance normally takes about a month. However, the aircraft remained grounded much longer than planned.
Several components were removed from the plane to keep other Boeing 777 aircraft operational during spare parts shortages. Over time, the jet effectively became a source of parts for other aircraft in the fleet. This extended its time on the ground.
Engineers at the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility carried out extensive work to restore the aircraft. The process involved structural inspections, system tests, pressure checks and verification of safety systems including fuel, hydraulic and emergency equipment.
After these checks, the aircraft was cleared for a test flight to evaluate its performance. The flight travelled from Nagpur to Ahmedabad. Engineers and crew assessed flight systems, avionics and overall handling before commercial service resumes.
Final regulatory approvals are still required before the aircraft carries passengers again. The Boeing 777’s return comes as Air India works to strengthen and modernise its fleet under the Tata Group transformation plan while awaiting delivery of new aircraft.
