Air India, India's largest airline recently launched non stop flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick. The first flight was ceremoniously flagged off virtually by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Rajiv Bansal, Secretary of Civil Aviation, Campbell Wilson, MD and CEO of Air India, Balvantsinh Rajput, Cabinet Minister of Civil Aviation for Gujarat, attended the ceremony. Several executives and dignitaries from the Ahmedabad airport were also present at the event.
The direct connection will benefit the Gujarati diaspora in the UK, which according to reports is the largest in the world, with an estimated 8,00,000 people residing in the country.
Speaking at the event, Wilson said, “As part of our five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, we aim to grow our domestic and global network significantly to improve India’s connectivity with the rest of the world. Our services from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick will continue to boost trade and tourism between the two nations and help a large number of people from the Indian diaspora stay just a flight away from Gujarat.”
The thrice weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick will make use of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has 238 seats in the economy class and 18 in the business class.
Along with flights from Ahmedabad, Air India increased its frequency from Delhi and Mumbai to London Heathrow while adding non-stop flights from Amritsar, Goa, and Cochin to London Gatwick. The airline currently offers 49 weekly flights between India and the UK, including six from Delhi and Amritsar to Birmingham.
