In an attempt to expand its network in the United States, India’s national carrier Air India, announced the launch of its first-ever nonstop service between Mumbai and San Francisco on December 15, 2022.
This comes after the airline announced the commencement of its Bengaluru to San Francisco flight three times a week from December 2, 2022.
Air India has launched another long-distance flight to the US, this time between Mumbai and San Francisco. The airline operates several US flights, mostly from New Delhi, but with more long-range planes on the way, new routes like this will feature on its network soon.
On December 15th, Air India launched its first nonstop service between Mumbai (BOM) and San Francisco (SFO). The flight lasted for almost 16 hours and was operated by the newly acquired Boeing 777-200LR (VT-AEF, named Vihaan), which formerly flew for Delta Air Lines.
Flight AI 179 left Mumbai at 14:30 and landed in San Francisco at 17:26 after flying for 15 hours and 48 minutes. It will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and take Air India’s India-US frequency to 40 nonstop flights per week.
The occasion was marked with a launch ceremony at Mumbai airport with a lamp-lighting and cake and ribbon cutting ceremony. Passengers on the flight were also treated to a specially curated goodie bag by Air India.
The airline’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, said, “As part of our five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, we plan to significantly enhance connectivity between India’s major cities and prime global destinations. The non-stop flight between India’s financial capital and Silicon Valley is a step towards achieving enhanced customer experience. With the launch of this route, we will have a weekly availability of 40 non-stop flights that will bolster India’s connectivity with the USA.”
