LUCKNOW: In a significant milestone for the city’s aviation sector, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport witnessed its first commercial airline operation involving a Boeing 777 (B777) wide-body aircraft on Tuesday, when Saudia Airlines operated its flight with hundreds of passengers.According to official source, Saudia Airlines flight SV-892 landed at Lucknow airport at 3.42am on October 27 with approximately 430 passengers booked.The aircraft subsequently departed as flight SV-893 at 5.39am with around 300 passengers booked.The operation marked a significant development for Lucknow airport, which has traditionally handled commercial flights operated by narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.The Boeing 777 is a long-range, twin-engine wide-body aircraft designed to accommodate substantially more passengers than conventional narrow-body aircraft. Its operation at Lucknow represents an important milestone in the airport’s ability to handle larger commercial aircraft.Airport officials said Saudia Airlines has scheduled its next Boeing 777 operation for October 29. The aircraft is expected to arrive at 12.50am and depart at 2.30am.The development assumes significance as Lucknow continues to emerge as an important aviation hub in Uttar Pradesh, catering to growing domestic and international passenger traffic.The successful operation of the wide-body aircraft could pave the way for more such commercial flights from the state capital.Notably, about a year ago, defence minister Rajnath Singh, who also represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha, had expressed his desire to see direct flight operations between Lucknow and Los Angeles in the United States.
