Uncertainty lingers over India air link

Uncertainty lingers over India air link
By admin


India Tourism has highlighted the potential benefits of direct services between Australia and India, but remains doubtful they are coming any time soon.

Regional director Australasia, Madhu Dubey, told Travel Today direct services would provide a “tremendous boost” to Australian visitation to India, considerably increasing the convenience of travelling to the destination.

“The US and Australia are about the same distance, but we always think that Australia is too far away – you don’t think of New York that way,” she said. “Delhi to New York takes 14 hours and it will take the same time to get here.”

But Dubey stressed it would be difficult to predict the impact of the proposed services until their cost and frequency becomes clear.

Air India itself has become “wary” of making any further announcements regarding the service, she added, following a number of false starts.

However, the latest reports suggest July as the likely date of the launch, with the current hold-up due to problems with the Boeing 787 aircraft which Air India plans to operate on the route. The aircraft was recently grounded following a series of battery malfunctions.

“I think most of the clearances are in place,” Dubey said. “As far as we are officially aware, the Dreamliner is the only problem.”

But she remained sceptical of a July start date.

“It’s still so speculative,” she said. “Until it arrives, it’s a little bit like wait and watch.”

 

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