Air India has been terrible with optimising its aircraft for US operations in the past. The US Carriers have been unable to add flights to India because of the ban on flying over Russia. Hence, Air India has a solid money-minting operation right there, being a significant operator of non-stop flights between India and the US. With the addition of the (ex-Delta) 77Ls and (ex-Etihad) 77Ws to the fleet, however, and some of Air India’s widebodies returning online after years, they have more planes to enhance their frequencies.

Air India is adding more frequencies to existing US Operations.

Air India now has an additional 777-200LR available with all the aircraft it is taking on. Using this aircraft, Air India is enhancing its flight operations to three of its major operations in the US. This was first reported by Per the route tracking website Aero Routes.

• Adds 11th frequency to Delhi – San Francisco Operations: Delhi San Francisco Air India flights were launched three times a week in December 2015 and doubled frequency to 6 times a week in November 2016. A second bunch of flights was added, operating three times weekly at a different time, and an additional frequency was added to make the initial flight daily. Effective November 24, 2023, Air India will enhance flights by adding an eleventh frequency to the Delhi – San Francisco and return operation using the 777-200LR aircraft. This frequency will be operated by the older 77Ls of Air India and sold with First Class (some flights operate with the ex-Delta 777s where the top cabin is Business Class).

AI173 DEL0410 – 0600SFO 77L D
AI183 DEL1345 – 1705SFO 77L 246
AI183 DEL1515 – 1705SFO 77L 5

AI174 SFO0900 – 1445+1DEL 77L D
AI184 SFO2030 – 0200+2DEL 77L 5
AI184 SFO2030 – 0325+2DEL 77L 246

• Adds 4th flight to Delhi – Newark: Air India has been operating a three-time weekly flight between Delhi and New York Newark, apart from flights to New York JFK. They will add a fourth frequency to this route, effective November 27, 2023. This flight will be added with a Boeing 777-200LR (Air India variety). Air India used to operate on this flight up to five times weekly back in the day.AI105 DEL0150 – 0655EWR 77W 246
  AI105 DEL0150 – 0655EWR 77L 1AI106 EWR1115 – 1125+1DEL 77L 1
  AI106 EWR1115 – 1125+1DEL 77W 246
• Adds 4th flight to Delhi – Washington DC: Delhi – Washington DC is the longest flight in the Air India network, operated with a Boeing 787-8. Air India will add a fourth frequency to this flight, effective November 21, 2023. This equipment might have come in handy after Air India decided not to pursue Amsterdam flights a few months after launch.

AI103 DEL0130 – 0655IAD 788 x146
AI104 IAD1015 – 1035+1DEL 788 x146

With these enhancements, Air India will get 50 weekly India-US departing flights this coming winter, up from 33 in 2019 and 39 in 2022 winter schedules. All of the above enhancements are already on sale.

Bottomline

Air India is adding three new frequencies to the US operations in November 2023, powered on the back of additional equipment availability of the 777-200LR and the Boeing 787-8. With the addition of one frequency to Delhi/San Francisco, Delhi/Washington DC and Delhi/New York Newark, Air India will have 50 frequencies to the USA every week at different hub cities, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington DC.

What do you think of Air India’s expansion on US Routes?

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