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In an obvious bid to catch up with the likes of Delta, Continental and Jet Airways, India's national carrier Air India on Tuesday announced daily non-stop flights between Mumbai and New York beginning August 1.
The 15-hour-15 minute-flight from Mumbai's Sahar International Airport to JFK in New York will leave at 45 minutes past midnight to reach New York at 7: 10 in the morning. The return flight will take about an hour less. Both flights will use the Boeing 777-200 Longer Range aircraft, the world's most expensive commercial jetliner, 68 of which is being procured by India.
"This launching of non-stop flights is as important to us today as it was then Air India launched Boeing 747 to serve India and the US in 1971.Even 45 years later it has significance for us for it will start a new chapter in India's civil aviation," V K Verma, Air India's commercial director, said in New York.
"It is a momentous occasion for us,' he added.
Noting that the Mumbai-JFK route is known as the champion route or the blue ribbon route in airlines' parlance, Verma was candid enough that the service to JFK has not been the best what with delays and lack of adequate service.
"I must admit that in the past four five years our product to JFK had some flaws and deficiencies but we are pitching ourselves right at the top from first of August this year," he said.
Air India, which is slated to get delivery of the first of the Boeing 777-200LG on July 25, is also refurbishing 747-400s as part of its bid to modernise and upgrade the fleet. Verma said Air India will start daily non-stop flights between Delhi and JFK and vice versa early next year as also between Bangalore and San Francisco from June 2008. There will also be daily flights to Mumbai and Newark from 1988.
"Leisure and business travel between the United States and India have increased dramatically in recent years," said A K Mathur, regional director, USA and Canada.
"Recognizing this, Air India seeks to provide service that is fast and convenient, with all the amenities and comfort today's travelers demand," he said.
For travelers continuing beyond Mumbai, Air India will offer gate-to-gate connecting service from the same international terminal to 12 other major cities in India, including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad. This will allow travelers to check their luggage at JFK through to their final Air India destination, where they clear customs and immigration.
One of the reasons for the new-found focus, Verma noted, is the burgeoning growth of India aviation market.
"Whereas the forecast for the average market growth across the world is 5 to 7 per cent, the growth of international passenger market in India is predicted to be 18 and 19 per cent. Therefore we believe this is the time to occupy the space which for some years had been neglected," Verma said.
"Even though we have a couple of international airlines providing non-stop services between the US and India, clearly we are confident the product offered by Air India will be the best," he said.