New Delhi: Air India is learnt to be operating two charters to the US early on Tuesday morning, hours before the restriction for travellers from India kicks in. It will be flying a Dreamliner each from Delhi to New York and Chicago. “The planes have been chartered by a private company, which in turn has reportedly sold tickets on it in the range of Rs 1.5-7 lakh,” say sources.
The United States will “restrict and suspend” entry of non-American citizens/residents who were physically present in India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the US from Tuesday 9.30 am (IST). A proclamation issued by the White House says this restriction will not apply to persons aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the US that departed prior this deadline, hence the last-minute charters.
AI uses two versions of its Boeing 777 for North America — 238-seater long range (mainly for west coast) and 342-seater extended range (east coast). With a light load, the relatively smaller and economical 256-seater Boeing 787 Dreamliners can do the India-US nonstops. AI has been operating a B787 on Delhi-Washington for this reason. Now that the US restrictions on travellers from India will kick in from Tuesday morning, the reduced number of eligible travellers could see AI deploying its B787s for the reduced flights being operated to America.
04/05/21 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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