Dubai: India’s national carrier Air India will launch its Delhi-Toronto direct flight on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27 despite facing the threat of privatisation due to mounting debts.
The airline is also planning to launch a direct flight to Nairobi, Kenya in October.
“We will launch Delhi-Toronto non-stop flight from September 27 on the occasion of the World Tourism Day,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwini Lohani told PTI on-board the Indore-Dubai maiden flight.
AI 903 is the first international flight from Madhya Pradesh providing much-needed connectivity to the Gulf and beyond to people of the state.
“We are also planning to launch a direct flight to Nairobi sometime in October in view of immense tourism potential in that area,” Lohani said.
Though Air India is facing a debt of nearly Rs600 billion (Dh32.1 billion), Lohani’s spirit is high and the airline is taking all possible steps including reducing operational costs to keep the national carrier afloat.
Air India also plans to introduce a Bhopal-Bengaluru flight in October.
He also said that after Dubai flight, Air India will also start its services for Bangkok from Indore.