80 per cent electricity supply restored in Kashmir after disruption due to gusty winds, snowfall
Srinagar (PTI): More than 80 per cent of the electricity supply was restored in Kashmir on Friday evening following its disruption due to gusty winds and snowfall, officials said.
Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) officials said that due to the severe gusty winds, incessant rainfall and heavy snowfall across various parts of Kashmir, the power demand witnessed an unprecedented decline and it dropped to the lowest level of 93 MW at around 10 pm on Thursday night as against the normal average of approximately 1650 MW.
The network was live until 10 pm on Thursday when the load abruptly crashed due to faults/damage of various 33kV/11kV feeders, owing to gusty winds, they said.
The rooftops of houses were blown off and smashed on to 33kV/11KV line, causing damage to the electrical line and adding extra difficulty in clearing the smashed roof structures hanging on the lines, the officials said.
At the sub-transmission level, 103 out of 135 33 kV lines were down/under fault, reflecting nearly 24 per cent active network at this level.
Similarly, at the distribution level, 1275 out of 1302 11 kV feeders were down/under fault till morning, they added.
Following standard operating procedures (SOPs), wee morning restoration had already started and is being monitored at all levels led by managing director or chief engineer and pursued by superintending engineers or executive engineers.
The restoration picked up pace and by 6 pm on Friday, almost 80 per cent network was restored and load of 1050 MW was recorded with prioritising of essential and vital installations, they added.
The KPDCL officials said heavy snowfall and high-speed winds have badly affected the electrical infrastructure, particularly in Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla and Budgam.
Around 4.5-foot snow in high terrains of these areas is affecting the restoration work as vehicular movement is also severely impaired, they said.
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AI to operate new Dreamliner with limitations; awaits certain FAA approvals
New Delhi (PTI): Air India will operate its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft with certain limitations as the Tata Group-owned airline is awaiting approvals from the US watchdog FAA for the sliding privacy doors in the plane's business class suites and for 18 economy class seats, sources said on Friday.
The aircraft, also the first custom-made Dreamliner to join the Air India fleet after takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022, will enter commercial operations on the Mumbai-Frankfurt route from February 1.
The plane has 296 seats, comprising 30 business class, 28 premium economy and 238 economy class seats. Out of them, 18 economy class seats will not be available for use till the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) give its approval, the sources told PTI.
In a statement to PTI, an airline spokesperson said the new B787-9 will enter commercial operations on February 1 with certain limitations.
"The sliding privacy doors in our business class suites will remain securely fixed in the open position and unavailable for passenger use, as this specific seat feature awaits regulatory approval. We expect to receive the necessary approval in the near future. All other seat features are available for passenger use," the spokesperson said.
Separately, a total of 18 specific economy class seats are blocked from sale and are also physically blocked from use.
"The seat product itself (RECARO 3710) is fully certified and in regular operation on many airlines worldwide; however, there is a regulatory interpretation affecting the 18 specific seats that we are working with the manufacturer and regulator to resolve.
"The 18 specific seats will only be offered for sale once full certification is received," the spokesperson said.
When contacted over e-mail, an FAA spokesperson told PTI, "We don't comment on ongoing certification work".
There was no comment from Boeing.
In 2026, five more wide-body aircraft -- three Boeing 787-9s and 2 A350-1000s -- are set to join the Air India fleet. The airline, currently, has 188 planes, and the legacy Boeing 787s are undergoing retrofit progressively.
According to the spokesperson, the product limitations due to pending certification apply only to the new B787-9 aircraft, and not to the retrofitted B787-8 planes.
These are two different variants, and their interior fitout undergoes a separate certification process. The certifications for seats and features on the B787-8 are complete and have been approved by relevant regulators and will be available for customer use, the spokesperson added.
The sources also said that some global airlines are awaiting certain regulatory approvals for their business class seats. These include Lufthansa, which is awaiting regulatory certification nod for some of the business class seats in their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, they added.
At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s -- 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.
In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s.
