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Air India Adds 36 Extra Flights to Europe, North America Amid Geopolitical Tensions

Air India announced it will operate 36 additional flights to Europe and North America from Delhi and Mumbai between March 19 and March 28, adding over 10,000 seats. The move aims to meet strong international travel demand amid the ongoing geopolitical situation in West Asia. This follows a previous round of 78 extra flights operated by the airline earlier in March. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed temporary relaxations in flight duty norms as airlines take longer routes due to airspace restrictions.

Key Points: Air India Adds 36 Extra Flights to Europe, North America

  • 36 extra flights from March 19-28
  • Over 10,000 seats added on key routes
  • Flights connect Delhi & Mumbai to London, Toronto, Frankfurt, Zurich
  • Follows earlier 78 additional flights by Air India
  • DGCA granted temporary duty norm relaxations
2 min read

Air India to operate 36 extra flights to Europe, North America amid geopolitical tensions

Air India to operate 36 extra flights from Delhi & Mumbai to London, Toronto, Frankfurt, Zurich amid strong travel demand and West Asia tensions.

"The capacity augmentation aims to support passengers amid evolving geopolitical conditions impacting travel demand and route availability. - Air India"

New Delhi, March 17

Air India on Tuesday said it will operate additional flights to Europe and North America from this week through next week amid strong demand for international travel due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region.

The airline will operate 36 additional flights connecting Delhi and Mumbai with key destinations such as London (Heathrow), Toronto, Frankfurt and Zurich between March 19 and March 28.

The move will add over 10,000 seats across these routes, enhancing capacity and offering more travel options at a time when international connectivity remains constrained, the airline said.

The additional services will be operated on the following sectors: Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow), Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich and Delhi-Toronto.

This follows Air India's earlier announcement of operating 78 additional flights on nine routes between March 10 and March 18 to meet surging demand.

Bookings for these flights are being progressively opened across all channels, including the airline's official website, mobile app and authorised travel agents.

Air India said the capacity augmentation aims to support passengers amid evolving geopolitical conditions impacting travel demand and route availability.

Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allowed temporary relaxations in flight duty norms for Air India's long-haul flights to Europe, the US and Canada, as the airline has been forced to take longer routes due to airspace restrictions amid the Iran conflict, impacting operations and passenger movement.

IndiGo, meanwhile, last week announced it will operate 252 weekly flights to and from West Asia between March 16 and March 28. The airline's services include about 126 weekly flights to and from Saudi Arabia, 98 to and from the United Arab Emirates, and 28 to and from Oman during the period.

However, IndiGo said operations to several destinations in the region -- Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah -- will remain suspended until March 28 as part of temporary network adjustments.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone with family in Toronto, this is welcome news. The longer routes must be exhausting for the crew though. Respect to the pilots and cabin crew working extra hours to keep people connected.
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Ananya R
It's smart business sense but also shows how global tensions hit home. Our aviation sector has to adapt quickly. I just checked the website – bookings are already filling up fast for the new flights!
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Vikram M
While I appreciate the extra capacity, I hope Air India ensures the same service quality. Sometimes during such rush, maintenance and customer service take a backseat. That shouldn't happen.
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David E
Interesting to see IndiGo's parallel strategy focusing on West Asia. Shows the two major carriers are tackling different segments of the demand surge caused by the same geopolitical issue.
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Priya S
My cousin's wedding in London next week! This is a godsend. Was worried we might get stuck. Thank you Air India for stepping up. 🙏 Hope the DGCA relaxations help the staff manage the longer duty hours safely.

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