DATELINE DESI

AIR INDIA NOW FLIES TORONTO-DELHI NON-STOP

Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s minister of Civil Aviation (second from left), India’s High Commissioner to Canada Vikas Swarup (third from left), Nina Tangri, member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament (fourth from left), and Air India’s Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani.

On September 27, Air India launched its new non-stop service from Toronto to Delhi.

Air India will fly this route three times weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. AI188 leaves Toronto at 12:15 p.m. and arrives in Delhi 12:15 p.m., and AI187 departs Delhi at 3 a.m. and arrives in Toronto at 8:45 a.m. (all times local).

The 14-hour flight can carry 342 passengers in a three class configuration, which includes four first class seats, 35 business class seats and 303 economy seats.

The airline launched the service with a water canon salute from Toronto Pearson for the inaugural flight from Delhi, and a gate ceremony in Terminal 1 for the departing flight. In attendance were India’s Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, Air India’s Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani and India’s High Commissioner to Canada Vikas Swarup.