AI to start Delhi-Washington flight
State-run carrier Air India, which is buying 68 aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing, plans to connect more Indian and American cities, including the two capitals of New Delhi and Washington, as it seeks to expand its international operations.
By PTI |
SEATTLE: State-run carrier Air India, which is buying 68 aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing, plans to connect more Indian and American cities, including the two capitals of New Delhi and Washington, as it seeks to expand its international operations.
"Washington, I admit, is an important route and we plan to put a flight there, may not be a non-stop flight. It could be a one-stop flight because of the traffic," Air India Chairman and Managing Director V Thulasidas said here.
Thulasidas, who is here to take part in Boeing's roll out of the Dreamliner 787 series, said the new air planes would help it increase long-haul flights between the two countries such as from New York to Mumbai and New Delhi.
"So what you are looking at is a 787 (Dreamliner) flying between Delhi and Washington possibly via Paris," he said.
The Indian carrier is buying 68 passenger jets from Boeing, including 27 Dreamliners.
He said the new jets would help the airline to launch flights from other Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore to various destinations in the US via Europe.
Air India has drawn up plans to include US cities such as Boston, Dallas Fort Worth and Houston, besides the traditional routes of New York, Chicago and San Fransisco.
"We will be flying from Chennai via Europe to the US as part of the business plan we have worked out. We plan to fly from Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad via Europe to the US. We plan to have a hub in New York where several Indian cities will be linked with onward connections to the US. We have plans for about eight cities in India," he said.
Thulasidas said Air India earlier did not start flights from Chennai or other Indian cities to Europe and the US mainly because of shortage of aircraft.
"...and that is a situation we are now addressing by ordering all these aircraft," he said.
"New York-Mumbai is a best business even today," he said, adding the carrier would later connect New Delhi and New York.
"While you can get high value traffic on Delhi-Washington route, you get numbers on New York-Delhi route, on the San Fransisco route and the Chicago route," he said.
The largest revenue for the airline comes from the US market, but the Gulf region still has the largest number. The two regions account for 35-40 per cent each in revenue.
Boeing and Air India have also worked out an arrangement for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) as a part of a business venture and as a part of the aircraft purchase deal where Boeing will be pumping some 185 million dollar as a part of its deal. The MRO facility would be set up in Nagpur.
"We are looking at the MRO as a business venture... Boeing and Air India had agreed that we will set up an MRO in India. This is part of the aircraft purchase agreement which we signed... Boeing gave a commitment that they will invest up to 100 million dollars for an MRO, up to 75 million dollars for a training joint venture and another 10 million dollars for general aviation infrastructure," he said.
"Nagpur was chosen as a site for the MRO. It will be for air frames and we will work with Boeing to see how the Mumbai facility could be incorporated into this," he added.
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