Air India has resumed non-stop flights on all its services connecting Delhi and Mumbai with New York, bringing down journey times by up to five hours after months of disruptions caused by airspace restrictions.
Flights that previously took around 22 hours due to mandatory refuelling stops are now taking approximately 17 hours. The airline had introduced technical stops in Rome on select services to refuel after restrictions forced it to take longer routes.
The disruptions followed Pakistan's closure of its airspace to Indian carriers earlier this year. Restrictions across parts of the Middle East amid regional conflict further affected flight paths between India and North America.
With the previously restricted airspace now reopened, Air India has restored direct operations across all four routes linking the two Indian cities with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Four non-stop routes back in operation
Air India operates one daily flight each from Delhi and Mumbai to JFK. Its Delhi-Newark service runs four times a week, while the Mumbai-Newark route operates three times a week.
The restoration means passengers travelling between India and New York no longer need to factor in the additional time required for the Rome refuelling stop on the affected services.
A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft on New York routes
Alongside the return of direct flights, the airline is offering its upgraded onboard products across the routes.
Services from Delhi to JFK and Newark are operated by the Airbus A350-900. The aircraft has 28 Business Class suites with full-flat beds, 24 Premium Economy seats and 264 Economy Class seats. All three cabins are equipped with next-generation inflight entertainment systems and refreshed onboard soft products.
Flights from Mumbai to the two New York airports are operated using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with upgraded cabin interiors. These feature eight First Class suites with sliding privacy doors, 40 flat beds in Business Class and 280 Economy Class seats.
The resumption of non-stop services restores faster connections between India and the United States, while passengers can also access the airline's upgraded cabin offerings on the routes.