New Boeing 777 for Air India:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emkG3U3L78o

Airline: Air India
Type: B777-337ER
Registration: VT-ALT
MSN: 36318 (871)
Delivery flight: 24/05/2010.

Don't understand why this delivery wasn't cancelled<Or at least delayed> as AI has been seeking to sub-lease many 77Ws/Ls already in its fleet to other airlines.

Looking @ the AI 777 fleet status today, U'd think AI is more of a leasing company than a 777 operator.....perhaps more profit$ in leasing than operating?

VT-ALT was most likely to be one of the delayed deliveries and the aircraft was certainly fresh off the production line, by the looks of that video.

That's precisely my point. Unless Air India's primary business is in aircraft leasing, NOT airline ops, what is the point of taking new deliveries<fresh off the production line> of exactly the same type of aircraft<Also similar age> U're trying to lease out to other carriers @ the same time? The most weird thing is that AI is offering their 77W/L<i.e. 777-337ER/777-237LR> to other airlines on dry-lease<i.e. longterm arrangment typically lasting 5-8yrs without any AI crew+ops+maintenance support> instead of the more flexible wet-lease arrangement<i.e. short-term typically lasting a yr or less with AI crew+ops+maintenance support>.

At least on the surface, it looks like top managment @ Air India, particularly the fleet planning dept, has made a huge strategic mistake earlier placing those 77W/L orders.... Though AI is far fm alone in similar situation in India. Jet Airways and KingFisher hv also been actively leasing out/delaying deliveries of their biggest widebody types<i.e. 77W, 345 and 388>. I'm beginning to suspect an industry pattern here....