SINGAPORE, 3 October 2023: Air India has suspended direct flights between Delhi and Amsterdam just months after resuming four weekly flights on the route back in June 2023.
Aviation news sites said the decision was reportedly due to being unable to secure slots for the upcoming winter timetable from 27 October 2023 to 30 March 2024.
The airline fails to mention details on its corporate website or social media channels. Still, independent booking sites clearly show the airline will discontinue the DEL to AMS service, with the last flight scheduled for 27 October. The airline flies the route four times weekly on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic locked down travel in early March 2020, Air India had served the DELI – AMS route for 26 years.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s slot times for airlines totalled 303,000 for the summer season but have reportedly declined to 189,514 for the upcoming winter timetable, according to the ACNL. The non-profit agency is the airport slot coordinator of the Netherlands responsible for slot allocation and slot monitoring at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) and Eindhoven Airport (EIN).
KLM continues to fly daily on the AMS – DEL route throughout the winter timetable. The average roundtrip fare on the route up until 27 October is USD1,250 based on both Air India and KLM flights. However, during the last quarter, the average airfares will rise to USD1,414 in December.
Air India is promoting its new flight connecting Kochi, the commercial hub of Kerala, with Doha, the capital of Qatar, through social media channels. The daily service is due to start on 23 October 2023. Bookings are open on the airline’s website.
The airline also reports it will fly from Delhi to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, four times weekly starting 28 October. Flights will depart Delhi on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flight time for the direct service is two hours and 20 minutes.
