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Ashwini Phadnis

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New Delhi Feb. 11 You may have flown Emperor Narsimha Varman to London or been on board the Periyar while flying to Singapore with Air India. Now get ready to fly with the airline on board Andhra Pradesh or Jharkhand when travelling non-stop between Mumbai and San Francisco or on the Delhi-New York sector.

After naming its aircraft after rivers and emperors, Air India is now planning to name its 68 mint fresh Boeing fleet after the country's States. The first aircraft, a Boeing 777 is to be inducted in April this year, and the airline plans to follow the alphabetical order for naming them as they join the fleet. Although airline officials are tight-lipped, the first aircraft could well be called Andhra Pradesh. "While technically, there is nothing wrong in naming an aircraft after a State, we have decided to approach the States to seek their clearance before christening them," a senior AI official told Business Line.

The airline has ordered 23 Boeing 777 including eight Boeing 777-200 long range and 15 Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft apart from 27 Boeing 787 aircraft. In addition, Air India Express, the 100 per cent subsidiary of AI, ordered 18 Boeing 737-700 aircraft to make up a deal valued at more than Rs 30,000 crore.

A decision on what name should be given to the other aircraft joining the fleet will be taken at a later date, officials added. While AI is to induct 68 aircraft, India has only 28 States and seven Union Territories.

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