Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

American Airlines resumes India flights

American Airlines resumes India flights

AMERICAN AIRLINES relaunched flights to India this week, nearly a decade after stopping them, looking to capitalise on the growing demand for non-stop travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, a senior executive of the airline said.

With travel demand bouncing back at home, American Airlines wants to expand its international network and India was "one of the biggest untapped markets" for it, said Tom Lattig, managing director of EMEA sales.


"A lot of customers really want to fly non-stop, particularly as we've come through the pandemic. We know there is a huge demand for travel between India and the US so there is an opportunity right now in the middle of the pandemic to come back," Lattig said in an interview in New Delhi.

American Airlines, which suspended services to India in 2012, started flying between New Delhi and New York on the weekend and will add flights between India's tech city of Bengaluru and Seattle in March.

If it succeeds with those two routes, it will add services to India's financial capital of Mumbai, Lattig said.

The expansion would also depend on the availability of aircraft as it awaits deliveries of wide-body aircraft from Boeing, he said.

"There are more opportunities than we actually have aircraft for," Lattig said.

The US carrier is already flying 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity at home and has even deployed widebody planes on some routes, Lattig said.

Demand from Europe and Britain was also strong, especially after the US opened its borders last week, and demand from Mexico and parts of Latin America had exceeded 2019 levels, he said.

But the airline had yet to see any meaningful recovery in Asia, where it is flying less than 25 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity, Lattig said, adding that the slow rate of vaccinations in the region was partly to blame.

Most of the current demand globally is from those visiting friends and family or for leisure. Lattig expected it would be the end of 2023 before corporate travel recovers to 2019 levels, with Asia being the slowest region to bounce back.

Lattig said as American Airlines looks to establish a presence in India, it was banking on its service and a four-class cabin to better compete with rivals like Air India, which was acquired by India's Tata Group, and United Airlines - both offering direct flights to the US.

The airline will also leverage its partnership with US low-cost carrier JetBlue and code share with India's biggest airline - budget carrier IndiGo - to feed its network by connecting travellers from multiple cities.

"We're going be the newcomer and we are going to be aggressive about establishing a place for ourselves," Lattig said.

(Reuters)

More For You

Campbell Wilson

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

AIR INDIA CEO Campbell Wilson is stepping down as chair of Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary. He will be replaced by Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s chief commercial officer, according to an internal memo sent on Tuesday.

Wilson will also step down from the board of Air India Express. Basil Kwauk, Air India’s chief operating officer, will take his place.

Keep ReadingShow less
Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

Prince Harry criticised tech companies for citing privacy laws to deny access

Getty

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for stronger protections for children online, warning that not enough is being done to shield young people from the dangers of social media

During a visit to New York, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a new memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online content contributed to their deaths. The installation, named the Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 smartphones, each displaying an image of a child lost to what their families describe as the adverse effects of social media. The memorial was made available to the public for 24 hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
Priyanka Chopra Teams Up with John Cena, Idris Elba in 'Heads of State'

An elite MI6 agent played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Getty

Priyanka Chopra fronts action thriller ‘Heads of State’ with John Cena, Idris Elba

A dynamic of action, comedy, and political misadventure is set to hit Prime Video this summer with the release of Heads of State. The newly launched trailer teases a fast-paced, explosive ride featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, John Cena, and Idris Elba in lead roles. The film is slated to premiere globally on 2 July 2025.

Directed by Ilya Naishuller, the filmmaker behind Hardcore Henry and Nobody, Heads of State is billed as a cross between Air Force One and Midnight Run. The film places mismatched world leaders at the centre of a chaotic crisis that forces them to work together, despite their egos and rivalries.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

Afghan refugees arrive at a camp near the Torkham border last Sunday (20)

Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

MORE than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past three weeks, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (22), after Islamabad announced the cancellation of residence permits.

Calling Afghans “terrorists and criminals”, the Pakistan government launched its mass eviction campaign on April 1. Analysts said the expulsions are designed to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which Islamabad blames for fuelling a rise in border attacks.

Keep ReadingShow less