Tata-Owned Air India Will Launch 24 New Domestic Flights On These Routes: Check Full Details

From August 20 onwards Air India will operate 24 additional domestic flights.

This is the first significant increase in flights since Tata Sons took over the airline from the government in January 2022.

New additions

The new flights include two from Delhi to Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, and from Mumbai to Chennai and Hyderabad, and one new frequency on the Mumbai-Bengaluru route and Ahmedabad-Pune route.

These additions will help grow traffic between India’s key metros and facilitate comfortable travel during the forthcoming festive season.

More planes available = more flights

The carrier’s narrowbody aircraft fleet stands at 70, of which 54 are currently serviceable.

This is a significant improvement from 28 aircraft that the airline was operating till recently.

It is thanks to having more single aisles serviceable now that the airline has been able to add new flights.

A spokesperson said that these additions will provide flyers more travel options between key metros in the late afternoon and evening.

New orders

The remaining 16 will progressively return to service by early 2023.

The airline is also going to place a mega order for both new wide-bodied aircraft — Airbus 350, and single-aisles

Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson said that over the past six months, Air India has been working to return aircraft to service and this is now bearing fruit.

No more pricing restrictions

The move comes after the civil aviation ministry said it will remove restrictions on ticket prices it had imposed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With this, Indian airlines–Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet, IndiGo, and GoFirst will be able to price tickets freely.

The government had imposed a minimum and maximum band based on the flight’s duration to prevent  a surge in prices once restrictions on air travel eased.