The Hindu Business Line : Air India’s Bangalore-San Francisco flight may take off next year

Fostering cooperation: The President of the Aeronautical Society of India, Mr V. Thulasidas, and the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Mr David Marshall, signing a protocol MoU in Bangalore on Saturday. The MoU will enable the two to become each other’s corporate partners. —

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Bangalore, Sept. 1 Air India says operating its non-stop silicon route linking Bangalore and San Francisco is just a matter of time, probably in the first half of 2008. It could take off from the new international airport which is to open at Devanahalli by April next year.

The launch depends on the delivery of the aircraft — a Boeing 777-LR — even as Air India is reviewing its post-merger fleet strength, aircraft capacities and deciding their allocation on different routes, Mr V. Thulasidas, Chief Managing Director of the new airline company, National Aviation Company of India Ltd, said on Saturday.

Air India plans to launch the Delhi-New York haul on January 7, 2008. Bangalore would become the third Indian city to have non-stop flights to the US. The Mumbai-New York non-stop took off recently.

A flight to Australia via Singapore is also being evaluated.

Domestic plans

Meanwhile, the domestic service of Air India Express will begin in late September or early October. The carrier is evaluating Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata with two aircraft expected for short haul trips this month.

Also on the cards are Air India Express flights from Kolkata to South East Asian capitals, the Maldives, Phuket and Central Asia, and also a Nagpur-Dubai trip.

Mr Thulasidas, who was here for an Aeronautical Society of India event as its President, told newspersons that Bangalore with its high-density air traffic figured prominently on the carrier’s agenda.

It has bought 6.5 acres of land near the Devanahalli airport to meet future activities.

The Aeronautical Society of India signed an MoU with its UK counterpart to foster cooperation between the two societies and their members. They will become each other’s corporate partners.

The Royal Aeronautical Society President, Mr David Marshall, said a Bangalore chapter would follow soon to pursue joint technical and scientific events.