Air India One – That's How Indian VVIPs Fly !!

Protocols require all the passengers on such VVIP flights, except of course the VVIP and senior bureaucrats, board the plane at least 3 hours prior to the departure. Immigration and check in facilities are provided from a temporary make-shift facility at the Palam Air Force Station. Every passenger is required to wear the id provided by the SPG at all times. These ids are color coded based on the role/ position of the bearer to allow easy identification of access levels, seating arrangement and protocols. The senior members of the delegation accompanying the VVIP are tagged in purple and enjoy first class seating while junior members are provide business class accommodation and share pink tag with other support staff. The support staff and other aids to the VVIP (butlers, cooks etc. with red ids) are seated in economy class configuration along with the additional security team (non-SPG members). Media personnel are provided yellow tags and enjoy business class facilities. VVIP of course gets his/her own private cabin to work or rest.

One of the luxuries of these flights is the kind of onboard service that money can’t buy. It’s efficient, unhurried and charming. If you refuse dessert, the stewardess, who will address you by name, will urge you to try a little. Onboard facilities including a menu are decided based on the preference of the person in the private cabin, however, everyone gets to choose from a generous list of items and seldom one sees the crew nodding in no for a request. Another luxury extended to the VVIPs is the opportunity to fulfill their whims and fancies which otherwise can only be dreamt of. One such passenger wanted to have a glimpse of the Pamir Mountains on the Afghan side of the Himalayas and captain of the flight had to take special permission from the authorities in Afghanistan who obviously were more than happy to cater to the special request of the guest from India allowing a perfect view of the “roof of the world”.

I realize that the facilities available for air travel for Indian leaders are in no way lesser than the ones offered by the well-known picture perfect Air Force One. Indian forces provide the best possible comfort and security to the guests and actually have a much challenging job than their counterparts in US. There only one person is in charge who’s needs are to be catered to while in India we have at least three persons (President, Vice-President and the Prime Minister) who are to be accorded with the same standards of services ensuring each one’s tastes are adhered to and requirements fulfilled. Moreover, rather than the aircraft, it is about the guests that these flights carry elicited from the fact that any aircraft carrying the dignitary is given that call sign and it is not attached to the plane as such.  Still we do not have a very prominent symbolism attached to these provisions partly probably because we still are a developing nation with people suffering from poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and other similar ills and it does not politically or otherwise makes sense to flaunt these luxuries. They are better kept under wraps to ensure those who enjoy these continue doing so.

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References:
en.wikipedia.org | globalsecurity.org | sainiksamachar.nic.in | indiatoday.intoday.in | indianexpress.com | economictimes.indiatimes.com | indianairforce.nic.in