Air India, Continental Airlines and Jet Airways are ramping up service between the United States and India, seeking to satisfy growing demand for travel between the two countries.
Air India said that it plans on Aug. 1 to introduce daily nonstop service between New York JFK and Mumbai using Boeing 777s.
Jet Airways on Aug. 5 will launch daily service between Newark and Mumbai via Brussels, using Boeing 777 aircraft. Continental, meanwhile, plans to launch nonstop service between Newark and Mumbai beginning Oct. 1. Upon the launch of service, Continental will enact a codeshare agreement with India-based Kingfisher Airlines
http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003612895(see story).Air India already serves India from Newark, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles, and serves Mumbai from New York via London, while Jet Airways' route plan is its first to touch the United States. The carrier said it plans to expand its coverage between the United States and India later this year.
"Jet Airways has embarked on an unprecedented $3.7 billion expansion, acquiring new widebody Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft, and opening a wide variety of routes including, in 2007, to New York JFK, San Francisco, Toronto, Brussels and Shanghai," the carrier said in a statement. Jet Airways plans to launch its service from New York JFK and San Francisco beginning in October.
TRX Travel Analytics said capacity between the United States and India has grown by more than 55 percent between May 2006 and May 2007—which represents the fastest-growing market out of the United States.
"Leisure and business travel between the United States and India have increased dramatically in recent years," said A.K. Mathur, Air India regional director for the U.S. and Canada. "Recognizing this, Air India seeks to provide service that is fast and convenient, with all the amenities and comfort today's travelers demand."
Kingfisher Airlines, after only about two years of operations, plans to launch flights connecting India and the United States next April, with an eye on San Francisco and New York JFK, said Sudhan Thomas, North America regional director.
Meanwhile, India's domestic aviation market grew at a breakneck pace between May 2006 and May 2007—with capacity increasing nearly 43 percent in that time frame, said TRX Travel Analytics vice president and general manager Scott Gillespie.
According to OAG quarterly airline traffic statistics, carriers are adding 8,600 additional flights and 1.7 million additional seats this year within India, with low-cost carriers dominating the domestic Indian aviation market. OAG said that low-cost operations comprise 44 percent of all intra-India flights—compared with 22 percent in the United Kingdom and 19 percent in the United States.
"India's domestic market is experiencing an unprecedented growth, attributed to the increased operations offered by several low-cost carriers," said OAG vice president of business development and industry relations Duncan Alexander. "As a result, nearly one in two flights within India is now operated by a low-cost carrier. This is even more impressive considering that the low cost phenomenon is still in its infancy in the Indian market. It has already far outstripped the ratio in the United Kingdom and the United States, two of the most established low-cost markets."