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Daniel Ross
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Changes are afoot for Air India’s presence in the U.S.
Not only will the airline add 3 new nonstop services to the U.S., but it will operate aircraft with a premium economy cabin for the first time in its history.
“After a long time without significant growth, Air India is delighted to resume expanding its fleet and global footprint,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director at Air India.
Let’s take a look at what Air India’s latest news means for U.S.-based travelers.
India’s national flag carrier, Air India, is planning to launch new nonstop services from Mumbai (BOM) to New York (JFK) and San Francisco (SFO).
There’ll also be a new 3-times-weekly service from Bengaluru (BLR) to San Francisco (SFO).
The new routes will be served by 5 Boeing 777-200LRs that it has just signed agreements for.
The 5 wide-body jets will be accompanied by 25 narrow-body Airbus jets that will also join the airline’s fleet.
“These new aircraft, together with existing aircraft being returned to service, address an immediate need for more capacity and connectivity, and mark a strong step forward,” said Wilson.
While the exact start dates for the new routes are yet to be released, we can estimate that the services will be inaugurated sometime between December 2022 and March 2023 when the airline expects to take delivery of the 5 additional aircraft.
Hot Tip: India is quite literally on the other side of the world from America. Flights that cover such long distances often come with a higher price tag, so we’ve put this guide together outlining the best ways to fly to India using points and miles.
According to Air India, the new routes to the U.S. will all feature premium economy. This will be a historical first for the airline.
Given there aren’t many airlines that have operated Boeing 777-200LRs with premium economy cabins installed, there has been some speculation about which airline’s old jets Air India will be leasing.
What we do know is that wherever these aircraft come from, the cabins are likely to be a significant upgrade to what passengers are used to when flying Air India.
Air India will soon be adding 5 new wide-body and 25 narrow-body jets to its fleet.
The new aircraft will make it possible for the airline to kick start 3 new routes to the U.S., as well as operate a premium economy cabin for the first time in its history.
We’ll update you as soon as we get more information about the start dates for the routes and specifics about the new aircraft.
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Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.
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