Starting Monday, Air India launched direct flight services from Amritsar to Gatwick in the UK, as part of its expansion plan to increase its presence in Europe.
The Tata Group-owned airline will utilize its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to operate these services.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia remarked that the new international connectivity will promote the development of the region.
According to a statement released by the airline, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will have 18 business class seats with fully-flat beds and 238 economy class seats.
The aircraft will operate three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from Amritsar.
Air India has announced that in addition to the three weekly flights from Amritsar to Gatwick, it will also operate nine other weekly flights from Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi, bringing the total number of weekly flights to Gatwick to 12.
The airline currently operates a total of 49 weekly flights to the UK, including 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six flights to Birmingham.
Air India also operates 31 weekly flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Heathrow in London.
The flight from Amritsar to Gatwick was inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Gatwick airport is the second largest airport in the UK.
According to an official release, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed that the newly launched international connectivity would act as a catalyst for the development of the region.
He also mentioned that the new service would facilitate connecting families living in two different countries, as a large number of people from Punjab reside in the UK.
Air India’s CEO and MD Campbell Wilson stated that as part of the airline’s five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.
AI, the airline aims to significantly improve connectivity between India’s major cities and prime global destinations.
The statement highlights that the new Air India flights will cater to the increasing demand for direct air connectivity between important destinations in India and the UK.
Additionally, Air India currently operates 80 flights per week to seven major cities in the UK and Europe.
The airline has also resumed flights to several prime European destinations, including Milan, Vienna, and Copenhagen.