DELHI, 29 March 2022: India’s commercial airlines resumed international services on 27 March after being grounded for more than two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A few flights operated during the two years, mainly repatriation flights and those established under strict travel bubble arrangements. For all intents and purposes, international commercial flights remained grounded as India went into two years of lockdown and restrictions.
The Dubai-based Emirates was fast off the mark inaugurating flights to nine Indian cities right from day one. Indian airlines such as Air India and IndiGo have already revised their summer timetables. At least three Indian airlines will fly holidaymakers to Thailand’s Phuket island starting next week.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, IndiGo will add 505 weekly flights to its summer timetable. Air India is flying 360 weekly flights, followed by low-cost arm AI Express with 340 flights. SpiceJet has announced 130 flights, Go First 74, and Vistara 56. Indian airlines will be flying to 43 cities globally with 1,466 scheduled services.
Of all foreign airlines serving India, Emirates remains the firm leader with 170 flights, followed by Oman Air with 115, Qatar Airways at 99 and Etihad at 80.
From Europe, British Airways will fly 49, Lufthansa 32, and KLM 18. Singapore Airlines is back with 65 weekly flights (103 including Scoot).
Thai Airways International will relaunch services to Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.
