Air India Welcomes Back Flights to Toronto After 7 Years

Seven years after canceling the route, Air India has officially re-launched its Delhi to Toronto non-stop flight that will run three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Air India said in a statement, “national carrier Air India is all set to launch its Delhi to Toronto non-stop with a convenient connection from Amritsar and other cities fulfilling a long-standing desire from the travel fraternity here and the Indian diaspora in Canada.” The inaugural flight on September 27^th was operated on Air India’s newest livery, “Celebrating India”, that focuses on expressing India’s culture, landmarks, and heritage.

The aircraft used for the route is a 777-300ER that holds a total of 342 passengers, four in first, 35 in business, and 303 in economy. The flight leaves Delhi at a rather challenging hour of 3:00 AM and lands in Toronto at 8:45 AM the same day. The return flight leaves at a much more manageable 12:15 PM and lands in Delhi at 12:15 PM the next day. The flight runs about 14 hours and while it may not have the luxurious product that Air Canada offers, it may be worth the journey for the low fare.

The launch of this route came to fill the gap left by Jet Airways after its collapse earlier this year. Before the airline tanked, it regularly flew the Delhi to Toronto route but pulled out when it started facing financial struggles. Air India stepped in to capitalize on the large, 1.6 million Indian population in the Greater Toronto area. Vice President of Customer and Terminal Service, Scott Collier, at the Toronto Pearson International Airport stated, “It’s good for Toronto, it’s good for Southern Ontario, it’s good for Canada. Welcome back, and thank you.”

Although Air India has hit a few financial snags in the past couple of years, the demise of Jet Airways may open some doors to recovery. The airline will also begin offering low-fare flights from Toronto to Doha to compete with Qatar Airways.