NEW DELHI: With just three weekly nonstops, Mumbai-New York is among the most under-served international routes in the world forcing people to travel at least one-stop between the two mega cities.
According to UK-based air consultancy firm OAG’s “Busiest Routes 2022” report, Mumbai-New York as the seventh most undeserved route in a list that is headed by Quito-New York JFK.
Air India is the only airline operating direct flights between Mumbai and Newark (EWR) as United has suspended this route along with Delhi-San Francisco after western carriers stopped overflying Russian airspace.
Delta hasn’t resumed Mumbai flights post Covid and American’s India expansion plans that may have put Mumbai on its network have been deferred.
“Mumbai-JFK with nearly 82,000 passengers in a 12-month period currently travelling indirectly between these two cities,” OAG report says.
With the resumption of international travel, the traditionally busiest international routes — between Dubai and Mumbai; and Dubai and Delhi — and busiest domestic — Mumbai-Delhi — are back on the top 10 list.
Mumbai-Dubai and Delhi-Dubai are the eighth and tenth busiest international routes. This list is topped by Cairo-Jeddah, Dubai-Riyadh and New York JFK-London Heathrow.
Jeju-Seoul, Sapporo-Tokyo and Fukoka-Tokyo are the busiest domestic domestic routes, says OAG. Delhi-Mumbai is the seventh busiest route. Busiest airline routes are those with the largest volume of scheduled seats in the last 12 months between October 2021 and September 2022.
OAG has also listed airline routes where each carrier operated a minimum of 50 flights between October 2021 and September 2022 as the most competitive routes. Bangkok-Delhi is the ninth on this list.
“The highest daily frequency is on Cairo-Jeddah where nine carriers operate 36 daily services, with Cairo-Riyadh a little further behind with 23 daily flights. On the other routes the daily frequency averages 8 flights,” the consultancy says.
Air India is among the few airlines that still overfly the Russian airspace, giving it the advantage of taking shortest routes between India and the west. United has suspended its Delhi-San Francisco and Mumbai-Newark since Russia’s war on Ukraine.
AI realises there is a huge opportunity on routes like Mumbai-New York but does not have planed immediately available to mount flights on them. AI’s widebody fleet currently stands at 43 aircraft, of just over 30 are operational. The remaining aircraft will be progressively returned to service by early 2023.
“Most countries, most airlines are searching opportunities for their aircraft. In AI, you have got opportunities searching for aircraft. That’s why we have leased five Boeing 777s and will lease more. There is significant opportunity,” AI MD & CEO Campbell Wilson had said on Tuesday.
