AI to fly to IAD
 

http://airlineroute.net/2009/10/16/ai-iadeffdec09/

Possible codeshares with UA?

A tag on from JFK? Whats the point when you have to clear customs and exit the plane? IAD-JFK isn't exactly underserved :confused:

I can actually see it in ITA - they're really going to fly a 77L on that route :rolleyes:

And to pile on the ridiculousness, they're actually getting beat on price by QR, VS, DL, AA, BA :D

However, WAS is not one of the possible choices on their website, yet.

GOI personnel have to fly AI though ;) Which now that I remember that is I'm sure a large reason why they are now flying to IAD

Indeed they usually have to fly AI if AI serves the route.

Still, except for purposes of special items transport, I don't see the great utility for the Indian government passengers in AI's operating continuing service between JFK and IAD as the flight is too short to be anything special and the more senior Indian government officials would ordinarily prefer DCA to IAD when having to be in DC itself.

At least AI's service -- at least on the non-stop that is -- for trips between DEL and JFK is much better than it used to be.

Unfortunately, a 767 is the largest plane (to my knowledge) that can land at DCA. However, it is true that most senior Indian government officials would prefer DCA to IAD. I believe that Prime Minister Singh landed in IAD earlier this year for the G20.

If the passengers are not required to exit the plane, will they have to do immigration and customs in JFK? Can they not do it at IAD?

No. Only to be clearance at Customs & Immigrations in JFK.

maybe they can bring over an old IC 319 to fly the shorthaul on this "direct" flight. :p

As a point of information (albeit not really relevant here), the "oldest" IC 319 was delivered in June 2007 and the most recent one last week.

They might be looking to save the parking fees at JFK for those flights staying very very long at JFK. Instead of bearing huge losses on flying this short haul, they could schedule the flights to stay at the minimum at JFK and operate some short haul routes from BOM/DEL.

Possibly. Else, they could just codeshare with UA who already has flights between IAD-JFK. In fact I have not heard of many international carriers that have a stopover on US soil. Most seem to connect to domestic carriers via code-share.

I am hoping one day UA would expand its IAD-KWI and IAD-DXB flight list and add a IAD-DEL. Another 'Capital-to-Capital' non-stop would be great!

I fail to see why anyone would choose this flight over DEL-Europe-IAD. I am pretty sure BA/LH etc via Europe would have comparable flight times to IAD from DEL without the headache of clearing customs en-route.

Cheers,

+1