Air India connects Delhi and Colombo with a non-stop flight

NEW DELHI: Three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced direct air connectivity between Delhi and Colombo, national carrier Air India announced introduction of a direct, non-stop flight on the Delhi-Colombo-Delhi route from today.

“The flight departed on schedule at 1200 hrs from Terminal-3 of IGI Airport, Delhi. Cricketers from the Indian team - Anjum Chopra, woman cricketer. Robin Uthappa and Nikhil Chopra also travelled on the inaugural flight,” said a release from Air India.

The 182-seater inaugural Airbus A321 flight from Delhi was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute after it landed at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport this afternoon, added the release.

The flight - AI 275 from Delhi - will leave at 1200 hours and reach Colombo at 1535 hours except on Wednesdays when the flight will leave Delhi at 1330 hours and reach Colombo at 1715 hours. Currently, Air India operates daily flights between Chennai and Colombo. The return flight AI 276 from Colombo will depart at 0820 hours, arriving Delhi at 1205 hou