Air India plans additional flights for London, Birmingham

In a bid to bolster its international presence, Tata Sons-owned Air India is now set to increase flights from Birmingham and London.

Presently, the airline operates 34 weekly flights in the UK-India sector. This is expected to increase to 48 weekly flights in the next three months.

Birmingham to have extra five flights per week, three from Delhi and two from Ahmedabad. London airports to have nine additional weekly flights, of which five are from Mumbai, three from Delhi and one from Ahmedabad. Altogether, seven Indian cities will now have non-stop Air India flights to the UK's capital.

Air India will introduce 20 additional flights from Birmingham, London, and San Francisco (US).

"This is part of the airline's ongoing endeavour to reclaim its position as a leader on the international aviation map. The additional flights to these three global destinations will be introduced in a phased manner from October to December this year," reads the airline's recent statement.

Commenting on the development, Mr Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India, said:

"As Air India reinvents itself under the Vihaan.AI transformation programme, adding frequency and improving connectivity from major Indian cities to more international destinations is a significant focus. This sizeable frequency increase to the US and the UK, as well as the addition of new city pairs and improved aircraft cabin interiors, comes just ten months after Air India's acquisition by the Tata Group. It is a clear signal of our intent and an early step towards a much bigger aspiration."