With the non-stop flight to the US connecting the two tech capitals of Bengaluru and San Francisco, Kempegowda International Airport (BLR Airport) plans to consolidate its position as a new gateway to India.
Commenting on the commencement of the new route, Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), said, “It is a historic day for us at BLR Airport as we now have a non-stop route that connects two cities renowned for their technology prowess across the world. This fulfils a long-pending demand of Bangaloreans and I am confident that this new route will further transform BLR by connecting people and businesses. At BIAL, we will continue to explore new routes that connect Bengaluru to key destinations across the world.”
The day saw Air India’s maiden SFO-BLR flight, its longest route covering over 14,000 km in about 16 hours, operated by an all-women cockpit crew. The flight connects the world’s two tech hubs — Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley of India.
Promising potential
The flight will operate twice weekly, to start with. Despite the current subdued pandemic environment, the maiden flight from SFO was booked to capacity in all classes, a testament to the potential demand in this sector. This route is also one of the top 10 longest routes in the World, in terms of distance flown.
With Air India being a Star Alliance Member, convenient connections will be offered to passengers travelling onward. Hence, with the introduction of BLR-SFO flight, traffic flows will not be limited to only SFO but will serve the surrounding regions as well, said a BIAL press release.