Amid Privatisation Bid, Air India Targets Operations On New International Routes; Delhi-Toronto Direct Flights In Tow

Having started operations on the Indore-Dubai route yesterday (15 July), India’s national carrier Air India (AI) is set to launch several new flights in the coming months, AI CMD Ashwani Lohani has said.

“We will launch Delhi-Toronto non-stop flight from September 27 on the occasion of World Tourism Day,” Lohani said, as reported by PTI.

“We are also planning to launch a direct flight to Nairobi sometime in October in view of immense tourism potential in that area,” he added.

The government airline, which had recently resorted to selling off non-essential subsidiaries, is reportedly under Rs 60,000 crore debt and is taking steps towards reducing operational costs. The government has been trying to divest its stake in the airline since some time but has found it hard to find buyers.

Lohani, however, informed of several new routes that AI is planning to operate from. Among the routes is the Bhopal-Bangalore route which has been in demand ever since direct flights were introduced by Indigo in March earlier this year.

AI is also planning to begin new direct flights to Dubai from Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kunnoor and Kochi from October while flights from Indore to Bangkok is also under consideration.