ETW Staff– Mumbai
National carrier Air India has launched direct non-stop operations between Delhi and Moscow, the Russian capital and Europe’s second largest city, with the B787 Dreamliner aircraft. Air India is offering attractive promotional fares on this route in both directions.
The non-stop service on the Delhi-Moscow-Delhi sector will operate four days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Flight AI-155 will leave Delhi at 01:55 hrs to arrive in Moscow at 06:15 hrs early in the morning. The return flight will leave Moscow at 08:20 hrs as AI-154 and reach Delhi in the afternoon at 15:30 hrs. The flight will be extended to Goa soon taking into account the large number of Russians visiting the destination.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohit Nandan, chairman and managing director, Air India, said, “The new service assumed significance in view of the strong relationship that India and Russia have shared for the last 60 years in tourism, education, industry, culture etc. The new service will cater to different segments of air travellers. Presently, about 10,000 people travel between the two countries every month including a large number of Government of India officials. The flight will serve Indians travelling to St Petersburg as well as the over 1000 Indian students in Russia.”
A long-standing need of Indians settled in Russia as well as of Russian locals visiting the Indian sub-continent, has now been met with the resumption of this service, which had been suspended 15 years ago due to operational reasons. The decision to resume operations came close on the heels of the recent meeting between the prime minister of India and the president of Russia.
Moscow is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world and the second most populous city in Europe. Air India is in dialogue with other carriers of Russia to provide services from other cities of Russia to India. Also, once the Air India service becomes financially stable, Air India will examine connecting other cities in Russia.
