Air India looks set to launch non-stop flights between Delhi and San Francisco in December.

According to local media reports, the carrier will operate a three times-weekly service between the two cities. It would be the fourth US airport served by Air India, joining New York’s JFK and Newark, and Chicago O’Hare.

It had previously been reported that Air India was considering a non-stop service between Bengaluru and San Francisco, which would have been the world’s longest regularly scheduled non-stop service at around 18 hours.

The Delhi-San Francisco flight will be slightly shorter, meaning Emirates is likely to boast the world’s longest flight crown with its forthcoming 17 hour 35 minutes Dubai-Panama route (see news, August 13).

Singapore Airlines had held the record for the longest non-stop services, with its ultra long-haul Singapore to New York and LA services, but these were dropped in 2013 due to rising fuel costs (see news, October 2012).

The carrier is however hopeful of a return to non-stop flights to the US, and is looking to Airbus to develop a long-range 900 series version of its new A350 aircraft (see news, August 18).

airindia.in

Mark Caswell