IA-AI merger delays flights

New Delhi: Even as travel and trade with Australia is on the rise, Indian carriers' quarter-century-long wait to resume flights to the continent have got a bit longer. Indian Airlines was all set to begin flights to Melbourne this year. But with IA and AI merger, these plans have changed. Now the India-Australia flights are likely to begin only sometime next year.
At present, Jet Airways has a code share with Australian carrier Qantas.
IA was planning to connect Delhi and Mumbai to Melbourne via Singapore with the new A-330s .
AI used to operate to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne from the 1960s to early 1980s. The service was stopped for a number of reasons including "viability of operations". Now Australia has joined a number of other places that AI plans to link next year. These include Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Montreal.
While these connections may happen next year, the Mumbai-New York nonstop daily flight has allowed AI to augment seat capacity on Delhi-NY sector. The Mumbai-Delhi-London-New York (AI 111) route has been changed.
16/08/07 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Air India Aug 2007, Indian Aug 2007