The United States continues to attract Indians for various reasons, be it economic opportunities or for higher education, among others. As such, demand for nonstop flights is present almost all year round. And while New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, DC are currently served with non-stop connections, other cities in the country are also demanding direct services.
Petition for Dallas-Hyderabad flight
The significant Indian population in Texas is voicing its opinions about the lack of a convenient way to travel back to India to meet their family and friends. A resident of Frisco, Texas, Venkat Mulukutla, has started a petition to request Air India to start a non-stop service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Hyderabad in South India.
The Indian-origin communities along the East and West Coast and the Midwest have convenient non-stop options to fly back to India, with Air India serving New York-JFK, Newark, Chicago, Washington, DC, and San Francisco. But for those living in Texas, the journey back home is often more than 20 hours, with a stopover at airport hubs in the Middle East or Europe.
Mulukutla’s petition says,
“We request Air India to start a Direct Flight from Dallas to Hyderabad. India. Dallas Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding areas are considered Telugu speaking Hub. Out of 400 thousand Indians in DFW at least 50- 60% are Telugu people. Every Year lot of Telugu students coming to Dallas to study while lot of Telugu including elderly parents are traveling to live with their children.”
He further adds that instead of first flying to places like Doha or Dubai, which are around 4-5 hours away from India, it would be better if Air India offered a nonstop service. The petition has already gained more than 3,700 signatures.
Photo: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa | Shutterstock
There have been some developments
Air India seems to be aware of the demand for such flights from the US. Not too long ago, Simple Flying reported that the carrier added three additional US destinations to its map – Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle. However, those plans did not materialize, and the airline never got around to announcing the routes.
Coming Soon? Air India Adds 3 US Destinations To Its Route Map
Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle are now listed.
While we don’t know the exact reasons for their removal, the development did suggest that Air India is considering expanding into the US. Clearly, there’s demand for such flights, and the carrier would want to capitalize on the opportunity as part of its growth plans.
Possibility in the near future?
Air India has been planning more US flights for the longest time, but several factors – including the lack of enough widebody airplanes – halted those plans. However, there have been significant changes within the company since the Tata Group took over its operations. Several of its grounded widebody planes have been fixed and many more have arrived on leases.
Photo: AdityaChopra | Shutterstock
The carrier primarily operates Boeing 777s on its US routes. It has acquired several of these planes on short-term leases and doubled down on existing US airports on its network. Perhaps with the new Airbus A350s, and more arriving soon, we could see more places in the US, including Dallas, appear within its international route network.
Examined: Air India’s North American Operations
Air India has more than 500 monthly return flights collectively to the US and Canada.
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