NEW DELHI: Nonstop India-US connectivity has taken an extra hit forward of the impending top summer season shuttle season. Air India will quickly droop six of its 47 weekly nonstops to America for the following two to a few months because of workforce scarcity, mentioned AI CEO Campbell Wilson on monday.
“We will be reducing frequency of the San Francisco and Newark nonstops by three each. In the next 2-3 months, the 100 pilots and 1,400 cabin crew in training will begin flying. The temporary crew shortage being witnessed on our Boeing 777 fleet will be resolved then,” Wilson mentioned. Additionally, AI will probably be deploying slim our bodies on some Bangkok and Dubai flights as a substitute of dual aisles for a similar explanation why.
AI is the biggest operator of nonstops to America. United and American have just one flight each and every at the New York-Delhi path. Delta hasn’t resumed India flights after March 2020. United has suspended its Mumbai-Newark and Delhi-San Francisco and Chicago flights. US carriers’ plans to have nonstops between Bengaluru and San Francisco and Seattle were indefinitely deferred.
With AI additionally lowering flights, India-US direct connectivity has taken an extra hit simply forward of top shuttle season, one thing that would push fares – already at unparalleled ranges – even upper.
“We are reducing frequency on routes where we can accommodate passengers on other flights. AI was an airline that was shrinking (pre-privatisation) and is now growing fast again. A large number of aircraft that had been on ground for a long time are flying again. This has led to a temporary crew shortage, essentially cabin crew and some pilots, with the B777 being most affected at the moment. This issue will be resolved soon. We are hiring 500 cabin crew every month. Almost 1,700 captains will come online, with less than 10% (140) being expats,” Wilson mentioned.
AI 17 weekly nonstops to San Francisco; 14 to New York JFK; seven to Chicago; six to Newark and 3 to Washington.
In the previous few weeks a number of AI nonstops were not on time via a number of hours. For example remaining week noticed a Chicago flight not on time via over an afternoon and New York via over 10 hours.
“We will be reducing frequency of the San Francisco and Newark nonstops by three each. In the next 2-3 months, the 100 pilots and 1,400 cabin crew in training will begin flying. The temporary crew shortage being witnessed on our Boeing 777 fleet will be resolved then,” Wilson mentioned. Additionally, AI will probably be deploying slim our bodies on some Bangkok and Dubai flights as a substitute of dual aisles for a similar explanation why.
AI is the biggest operator of nonstops to America. United and American have just one flight each and every at the New York-Delhi path. Delta hasn’t resumed India flights after March 2020. United has suspended its Mumbai-Newark and Delhi-San Francisco and Chicago flights. US carriers’ plans to have nonstops between Bengaluru and San Francisco and Seattle were indefinitely deferred.
With AI additionally lowering flights, India-US direct connectivity has taken an extra hit simply forward of top shuttle season, one thing that would push fares – already at unparalleled ranges – even upper.
“We are reducing frequency on routes where we can accommodate passengers on other flights. AI was an airline that was shrinking (pre-privatisation) and is now growing fast again. A large number of aircraft that had been on ground for a long time are flying again. This has led to a temporary crew shortage, essentially cabin crew and some pilots, with the B777 being most affected at the moment. This issue will be resolved soon. We are hiring 500 cabin crew every month. Almost 1,700 captains will come online, with less than 10% (140) being expats,” Wilson mentioned.
AI 17 weekly nonstops to San Francisco; 14 to New York JFK; seven to Chicago; six to Newark and 3 to Washington.
In the previous few weeks a number of AI nonstops were not on time via a number of hours. For example remaining week noticed a Chicago flight not on time via over an afternoon and New York via over 10 hours.