India-UK flights doubled

THERE will be more flights between India and the UK after India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation increased the frequency from 30 to 60 per week.

Passengers travelling between Delhi and London may pay prepandemic fares in the coming weeks, after Eastern Eye reported last week of inflated one-way prices following a surge in demand.

Of the 30 additional flights, 26 will be operated by Air India, and the remaining four will be operated by Vistara, Times Travel said last Friday (13).

The decision comes days after outrage over exorbitant airfares from major Indian cities to the UK, with Delhi-London fares at more than treble the normal price.

Reports of the fare hike made headlines after an official at India’s home ministry, Sanjeev Gupta, posted on August 7 on social media that an economy-class, one-way Delhi-London ticket on British Airways next Thursday (26) was touching almost £4,000.

However, India’s civil aviation ministry denied the claims, insisting instead that the fare during August ranged between £980 and £1,360, which is more than double that of prepandemic fares.

Meanwhile, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) said last Saturday (14) it was planning three flights a week from London to Kochi from Sunday (22).

Air India will operate the direct service, which will take 10 hours, on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As per the current schedule, the airline operates one direct flight a week.