New Delhi, India. After a delay of three months, India received a special B777 aircraft, the country’s first ever custom-built VVIP plane, from the United States. The plane will be used to fly VVIPs like the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister, on the lines of Air Force One, used by the US President.

Two of the Boeing 777 -300 ER aircraft ordered by Air India for its commercial fleet back in 2005 were sent back to the US for modifications and retrofitting in 2018, immediately after the delivery. The present aircraft, that has arrived from Texas, US on Thursday, is one of the set of two.

The Hindu reports that the plane is now parked at the IAF’s (Indian Air Force) technical area at the airport. Two IAF pilots have been trained by Air India to operate the aircraft and several others are undergoing training.

The aircraft has all features befitting a VVIP carrier. It can fly non-stop 17 hours, without the need of refueling. Facilities include spacious cabins with bedrooms, a mini hospital, a conference room and seats for officials accompanying the VVIPs,  according to Times of India. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art missile defence systems called large aircraft countermeasures (LAIRCM) and self-protection suites (SPS). The advanced security systems will enable them to jam and defeat hostile incoming missiles. The aircraft also has encrypted communication facilities.

PTI has unveiled the total cost of the aircraft after customization to be INR 8,400 crores.