Air India is all set to start its second non-stop flight to the USA. Air India will now connect Bangalore and San Francisco with its newly-acquired Boeing 777 long range aircraft, said V Thulasidas, CMD, Air India.

The flight connecting the Silicon Valley and the Silicon City is expected to benefit software professionals travelling to the Silicon Valley.  

"The flight will most probably take off from the upcoming Bangalore International Airport (in Devanahalli near Bangalore)," Thulasidas added. The airport is expected to be ready by April 2008.

This will be the second direct flight to the US from India after the Mumbai-New York flight. Air India recently started its non-stop Mumbai-New York on its newly-acquired Boeing 777-200 LR. The flight is approximately 15 hours on both directions. It had then become the first Indian carrier to fly non stop to the US.

The 15-hour flight allows one to fly during the night and hence saves a person from jet lag, he said.

In addition to this, AI is also planning a hub in Europe. The hub will offer connecting flights to all major airports in Europe. AI is exploring new routes for its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, which now flies mostly to West Asia.

It is looking at launching Air India Express' flights from Kolkata to destinations in South East Asia like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. It is launching Kolkata-Dhaka and Nagpur- Dubai flights.

Other destinations it is exploring are Phuket in Indonesia and some central Asian cities. There are flights to Central Asia operated by the Southeast Asian upstarts Nok Air and Tiger Airways. A flight to Australia via Singapore is also on the cards.

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