As per students demand, Air India to double frequency of US flights

"Air India is increasing the frequency of its flights to the US by over two times to 21 flights a week from August 7, compared to less than 10 weekly flights operated in July, as demand from students travelling to US universities for the commencement of fall semester surges", an Air India official stated.

Due to Covid-19, United States imposed travel restrictions, in addition to a curb on Indian travellers to the UAE. This had led to a situation where students who are studying abroad found themselves with significantly fewer travel options to US. 

In a tweet, the flag carrier shared: “Air India will operate additional flights between New Delhi & Newark on 6th,13th, 20th & 27th August ‘21. These are in addition to the existing flights operating on this sector”. 

In addition to Air India, American carriers United and Delta also be flying between the two nations. In the US, Air India operates flights to New York (John F Kennedy), Newark, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco. Earlier, as per the US travel ban order, Air India had cancelled most of its flights. 

Additionally, the Air India official said, "Because of the curtailed schedule, we had to reschedule the passengers in a staggered manner leading to some passengers getting reschedules that were almost a month after their original flight."

As per the reports of Indian Express, CEO OF EaseMyTrip, Nishant Pitti shared, "With flight shortages and visa delays, many students who had planned to join US universities this fall, may not be able to join them on time. While the US government is allowing students to enter the country 30 days prior to the start of their studies, there is a shortage of flights to the country, which has led to a decline in seats and rise in ticket prices."