This story is from May 22, 2019

Air India to increase Dubai flights; real expansion by October

In a bid to rein in high fares caused by Jet Airways suspending operations, Air India will add capacity on the UAE and domestic routes this summer. From June 1, AI will offer 3,500 more seats per week on Mumbai-Dubai-Mumbai route and from a day later it will augment capacity by the same number on the Delhi-Dubai-Delhi route.
Air India to increase Dubai flights; real expansion by October
One of the three AI Boeing 777s grounded at Mumbai Airport, seen next to a grounded Jet aircraft
NEW DELHI: In a bid to rein in high fares caused by Jet Airways suspending operations, Air India will add capacity on the UAE and domestic routes this summer. From June 1, AI will offer 3,500 more seats per week on Mumbai-Dubai-Mumbai route and from a day later it will augment capacity by the same number on the Delhi-Dubai-Delhi route by adding a daily direct on those routes using a the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
AI says it will “offer one-way economy promotional fare of Rs 7,777 (all-inclusive) from both Delhi and Mumbai to Dubai for sale and travel up to July 31, 2019”.
A more significant, including medium and log haul, expansion of AI’s network will happen by October when the airline expects to have several of its planes currently grounded for want of spares and engines back in the air.
These include 12 Airbus A320s; three B787 Dreamliners and two B777. All these 17 aircraft have been on ground for a long time due to paucity of funds to arrange for the required parts and 34 engines for them. “We have drawn up a schedule to have these planes flying again. The B787s will be back in action by August and by mid-September all these 17 planes should be flying,” said Shailesh Ghormade, ED of AI Engineering Services Ltd.
Once the B777s are back in action, AI is planning to either add frequency of its US nonstops or have a new destination in North America on its network like Toronto or Los Angeles.
On the domestic front, AI will introduce new flights on Bhopal-Pune and Varanasi-Chennai routes from June 5. It will increase flights on sectors like Delhi-Bhopal, Delhi-Raipur, Delhi-Bangalore, Delhi-Amritsar, Chennai-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Kolkata, Delhi-Vadodara and Mumbai-Vizag.
With three B787s grounded, AI could not fill the gap on the highly lucrative Mumbai-London sector. Jet used to have three daily flights on this route. While
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are adding flights on this sector, AI could not do so as it does not have additional aircraft capacity. AI’s Dreamliners offer more “seat pitch, legroom, free baggage allowance, mood lighting, bigger windows and gourmet Indian food.”
Sources say once -- and if -- the next government releases funds for AI, the airline could really spread its wings.
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