Photos that were created as concept designs for the cabin interiors of a Boeing Business Jet 777X (Boeing BBJ) are being shared on social media with a false claim that the images show the interiors of the Air India One used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BOOM found that the photos circulating are concept images of the interiors of Boeing's 777X jet that was scheduled to hit the market 2020. Moreover the Air India One is a Boeing 777-ER aircraft.
The viral images, which show luxurious renditions of the interiors of an aircraft, started circulating after Modi tweeted an image of himself working in the seat of an aircraft, while on his way to a three-day official visit to the United States.
The posts on social media carrying these images imply that while Modi may be seen working in a simple seat, he is afforded many more luxuries onboard.
One such post, with the images, can be seen below.
The same post can also be seen on Twitter.
FactCheck
BOOM ran a keyword search using the words in the images and through reverse image searches by taking screenshots of the images in the claim. We found find the exact images used by Business Insider in a picture-led story done in December 2018 on Boeing's new BBJ 777X variant. The story compiles concept images put forward by three firms - Greenpoint Technologies, Jet Aviation Studios and Unique Aircraft Design.
The Business Insider story can be found below, and a link here.
The images, that are being used in the post, can be matched with the pictures from the Business Insider story as given below due to the captions that they carry. They are not images from the Air India One, which is a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, but are just concept designs from 2018.
Courtesy: Unique Aircraft Design via Business Insider
Courtesy: Unique Aircraft Design via Business Insider
Source: Greenpoint Technologies via Business Insider
Greenpoint Technologies has put out a press release with these same concept images, stating that they supported the reveal of the BBJ 777X in 2018 with these concepts. Their concepts was also released by them through the press release, and can be read here. A PR agency released the same for Jet Aviation Studios. The concepts with Unique Aircraft Design is available on their website here.
Further, several media outlets have carried the image of the Air India One when it was launched into service. Here is the picture coverage by News18 and India Today. None of the images given in these stories match the images shared in the posts.
Boeing has said that the 777X is the world's largest and most-efficient twin-engine jet. The aircraft will deliver 10% lower fuel use and 10% lower operating cost than the competition. It has several innovations from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which can be read here.
Does India have 777X?
No, as public data available with Boeing does not corroborate this.
Boeing has delivered 149 BBJs, but all to commercial and business customers and to the US Air Force. So far, the 777X does not show up as a model it has delivered.
Public data with Boeing also show that currently 322 orders for 777X and BBJs remain unfulfilled across a cross-section of customers. But none of them are from India.
Source: Boeing's public order and delivery data
Further, among fulfilled orders, Boeing's data does show that it delivered three 777-300ER aircraft to Air India in January and March in 2018, of which two were set aside for VVIP usage. This can be read here.
These aircraft were then sent back to the United States, more specifically Houston, for VVIP and security retrofitting. The first plane was sent on June 1, and the second on June 30, 2018.
"The plane has left for Boeing's facility at Forth Worth, Dallas. Air India has entered into an agreement with Boeing to carry out retrofitment, which will be completed in 18 months," said an official of the airline, as carried by the Hindu.
An allocation of nearly ₹4,469 crores was made in the Union Budget presented in 2018 for this retrofitting.
The first aircraft, earmarked as Air India One, came to India in October 2020 for VVIP use. This can be read here.
All data provided by Boeing is up to August 31, 2021, and can be found here.