Aviation

Virgin Orbit announces window for first orbital Launch Demo with the LauncherOne vehicle

Virgin Orbit’s Launch Demo is scheduled to launch during a four-hour window that opens on Saturday, May 23rd, at 10 A.M. PT. We will only proceed with the mission if all conditions for launch are nominal. Although air-launched systems like ours are less vulnerable to bad weather than fixed ground-launch systems, we’ll be watching the weather closely and being cautious for this maiden flight. Should our flight slip, we have launch windows open at similar times on May 24th and 25th.

WHERE

Our carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl will take off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Release of the LauncherOne rocket occurs over the Pacific Ocean, near San Nicolas Island off the California coast.

Aviation

Air India Successfully Completes Its First A350 Flight from Delhi-New York

Air India has officially launched its new wide-body flagship, the Airbus A350 aircraft, on the highly anticipated Delhi-New York route, marking the aircraft’s ultra-long-haul debut.

This milestone signifies the induction of the first new aircraft type by an Indian carrier in over a decade. With this development, Air India is set to deploy the A350 on its non-stop flights to North America, with plans to introduce the aircraft on the Delhi-Newark route starting January 2, 2025.

Lufthansa Introduces A350 with Allegris Suites on Bengaluru-Munich Route

Additionally, the airline announced the upcoming launch of inflight Wi-Fi service on international flights operated by the A350, enhancing the passenger experience.

On November 1, 2024, the air india Airbus A350-900 took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi at 02:49 local time and successfully landed at New York’s JFK Airport approximately 15 hours later, at 07:47 local time.

This journey follows Air India’s first-ever A350-900 flight, which took off from Bengaluru Kempegowda Airport (BLR) to Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport (BOM) on January 22, 2024.

Air India’s US Service Takes a Hit with 60 Flight Cancellations This Peak Season

In a statement released on November 1, 2024, an Air India spokesperson expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Our A350 is NYC-bound for the first time ever! Now enjoy the all-New Air India experience when you fly between Delhi and New York JFK.”

air india new routes currently operates long-haul flights to major destinations including Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco with its Boeing wide-body fleet.

Passenger feedback regarding the A350 air india retrofit and the new customer experience has been overwhelmingly positive since its introduction on the Delhi-London Heathrow route in September. Managing Director and CEO Campbell Wilson noted, “We are excited to now bring it to New York.”