First Direct Air India Flight Takes Off For Silicon Valley From New Delhi

The much awaited first non-stop flight of Air India from New Delhi to San Francisco was welcomed with enthusiastic cheers on 2nd of December.

There were many officials in attendance from both the US and Indian administration, Mr. Venkatesan Ashok the Consular General of India too was present at the ribbon cutting ceremony as a symbolic gesture as it is the first airline from India to offer passengers direct-flights that connect India and US West Coast together.

Mr. Ashok said that “It is a remarkable day and today is a great day for Air India”. The Mayor’s office has also declared the day as ‘Air India Day’ to celebrate the occasion.

The Air India flights will fly three days a week – Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that there will soon be direct flights to connect Silicon Valley with India back in September during his US visit.

The officials of Air India said “Starting a direct flight within two months was a daunting task but we made it possible with the cooperation from US officials”.The flight has First Class, Business Class and Economy Class seating arrangements of 8, 35 and 195 seats respectively.

This service will help to reduce travel time by at least 5-6 hours for passengers and is said to boost business and tourism of both the countries.