Aerospace Diary

By Neelam Mathews Feb 2, 2026 AI161 to London on Jan 1: The A350 behaved, as did the passengers including me. Written with the unfiltered honesty as a passenger, though my inner aviation nerd  took candid notes as it couldn’t stop noticing cabin details no one else cares about- Or do they? PS: I have avoided writing details on manufacturers of seats and cabin interiors as pax don’t really care as far as their expectations were met  - nm Here Goes- I hadn’t flown Air India in ages -back when Vistara was still Vistara and not part of the same family-so my expectations were firmly in check. But seeing the A350 on static display at Wings India 2024 jolted me. The cabin looked nothing like the airline I remembered. The layout was crisp, the finishes finally felt intentional, and the tiny touches-the quiet Maharaj on the salt‑and‑pepper tiffin‑dabba, the cutlery, the linen, the amenities-were unexpectedly thoughtful. But what dazzles on the ground is one thing; what holds up a...