Flying to the US Again: Air India Restores Nonstop Flights
Air India said on Sunday it has resumed nonstop flights to New York and Newark from Delhi and Mumbai, a change that will save travellers up to five hours on each journey. The airline said all four India to New York routes are now operating without a technical stop, after previously restricted airspace reopened. Journeys that had stretched to around 22 hours will now take about 17 hours, according to the airline, and the Rome refuelling stop is no longer needed.
The change follows months of disruption to routings between India and North America. The closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian airlines, along with airspace restrictions across parts of West Asia amid regional conflict, had forced Air India to route its New York and Newark services through Rome for refuelling. With airspace restrictions now eased, the airline has restored direct operations, and it began operating the nonstop services in the first week of November using Iraqi airspace, according to reports.
What the new schedule looks like
Air India now operates one daily flight each from Delhi and Mumbai to New York John F Kennedy International Airport, along with four weekly flights from Delhi to Newark and three weekly flights from Mumbai to Newark. The Delhi to New York service uses Airbus A350 900 aircraft, according to reports, and the airline said the restored services form part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the India to United States market. For regular travellers, the change means fewer hours in the air and no mid journey stop.
The announcement came as the United States aviation system was recovering from a separate disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday, November 13, after communications problems in the air traffic control system, and the stop lasted more than four hours before it was lifted on Friday evening. The disruption added to a difficult weekend for travellers, and officials said schedules were expected to return to normal by the end of Sunday.
What travellers should do next
Passengers booked on the Delhi and Mumbai routes should check their flight times, since the shorter journey changes arrival times as well as departure planning. The airline has said the nonstop services are now in place across all four routes, so travellers can plan on the shorter trip when they book. For families and business travellers who have lived with the long Rome stop for months, the return of the direct flight is welcome news, and the top stories of the day carry the full update for anyone still catching up.
