NEW DELHI: With an aim to capture 30% of traffic in the international market (to and from India) over the next five years, Tata Group-run Air India (AI) has launched new flights connecting Mumbai with New York, Paris and Frankfurt, and announced the resumption of non-stop flights connecting Delhi with Copenhagen, Milan and Vienna.
AI will become the only airline to fly non-stop between India and these international destinations.
This expansion comes as the airline continues to make progress in augmenting its fleet with newly leased aircraft, and the return of existing aircraft to active service. The airline had recently said it plans to triple its fleet in the next five years.
The new Mumbai-New York service will operate daily to John F Kennedy International Airport using B777-200LR aircraft and will commence on February 14, 2023. It will complement Air India’s existing daily service from Delhi to New York and four weekly flights to Newark Liberty airport. This takes Air India’s India-US frequency to 47 non-stop flights per week.
To Europe, AI will add four weekly Delhi-Milan routes starting February 1, 2023, and thrice-weekly flights on each of Delhi-Vienna and Delhi-Copenhagen, commencing from February 18 and March 1, 2023, respectively. From Mumbai, new flights are also planned to Paris (3 weekly) and Frankfurt (4 weekly) starting next quarter.
All these flights will be operated by Air India’s B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. “A key element of our five-year transformation plan, Vihaan. Air India will strengthen India’s global network, connecting India’s major cities with more destinations. Introduction of these new non-stop flights to New York, Milan, Vienna, Copenhagen, Paris and Frankfurt is another step in that journey, which will accelerate as our aircraft fleet expands,” said Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson.
Not only Air India but the country’s largest carrier IndiGo is also trying to expand its international presence. The low-cost carrier on Wednesday announced the launch of connecting flights via Turkey to Portugal and Switzerland through its codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines.
Flying high
Air India new flights connecting:
Resumes non-stop flights connecting: