More Airlines Join Air India in Operating Flights Between India and US
A few more airlines have joined the US-India air travel bubble corridor along with national carrier Air India and United Airlines flights. Emirates Airlines and Lufthansa flights have already started their operation under the VBM Phase – 6, providing passengers more options between India and the USA.
Sources said that Virgin Atlantic will also begin operation in September.
US-India Air India Flights: VBM Phase 6
Air India has announced 145 more flights to the USA that will operate from September 1 to October 24. Bookings for the flight has begun and travelers who wish to book seats may do so via the Air India website, booking offices and also through authorized travel agents, a report said.
Air India also announced, prior to the September 1 schedule, they would fly to the US from 29 July till August 30 from major Indian cities including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi and Bengaluru.
The VBM phase six of Air India evacuation flights is scheduled from September 1 until October 23, 2020. Weekly three flights from Delhi to New York and Washington DC, weekly four flights from Delhi to Chicago and San Francisco, and weekly three flights from Mumbai to Newark are scheduled under the phase 6 of Vande Bharat Mission.
Air India’s USA-India Flights Schedule: Phase 6
New York-Delhi: Weekly three flights from SEP 2 to OCT 23
DC to Delhi: Weekly three flights from SEP 2 to OCT 23
Newark-Mumbai: Weekly three flights from SEP 1 to OCT 24
Chicago-Delhi: Weekly four flights from SEP1 1 to OCT 24
SFO-Delhi: Weekly four flights from SEP 2 to OCT 23
Note: Given the unprecedented situation during the COVID19 pandemic, the schedule of Air India’s US-India bubble flights under the VBM Phase 6 is subject to change on short notice.
United Airlines
United Airlines has announced additional special flights between USA and India through September 2, 2020. With due permission from Indian government, United Airlines resumed operations to India on July 17 as part of the US-India air travel bubble. United’s US-India flight schedule which was over on July 29 has now been extended till September 2.
In the first phase of United Airlines’ US-India flight schedule, New Delhi was the only destination and origin for special United flights to and from India. Mumbai has been added to the phase two as the other origin of United flights from India to Newark (EWR). United will be operating three weekly Mumbai-Newark (BOM-EWR) flights from August 2 till August 30, 2020.
Delhi-Newark: Daily flight from August 1 till September 1
Newark-Delhi: Daily flight from August 1 till August 31
Delhi-San Francisco: Thrice a week (Mon/Wed/Sat) from August 3 till September 2
San Francisco-Delhi: Thrice a week (Mon/Thu/Sat) from August 1 till August 31
Mumbai-Newark: Thrice a week (Wed/Fri/Sun) from August 2 to August 30
Emirates Flights to India from USA
Emirates has recommenced US-India flights starting August 15, 2020. According to reports Emirates flights between USA and India have connection time at Dubai for up to 6 hours. These days, Emirates Airlines is serving only six US cities, including New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago ORD, Houston IAH, Washington IAD, and Boston.
Emirates flights to and from Dallas, Orlando, Seattle, San Francisco, and Newark EWR are currently suspended. You can book Emirates flights to India for Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmadabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Mumbai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram.
Lufthansa Flights to India from USA
This August 13, Lufthansa recommenced inbound flights to India from Frankfurt and Munich through the bilateral air bubble agreement between Germany and India. Indians from the United States, Canada and other countries can now travel on Lufthansa flights to Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai. Lufthansa has been operating outbound flights from India for quite some time.
According to a report India’s travel bubble corridor with the US and Germany has made room for Lufthansa’s inbound flights to India from Seattle, Miami, Philadelphia, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Detroit, San Diego, Chicago, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles Airport.
Virgin Atlantic Flights to India from USA
Virgin Atlantic flights to India will be restarted in September 2020. Virgin Atlantic flights to and from India will connect with the United States through London Heathrow. The airline will be flying three weekly flights to New Delhi starting September 2 and four weekly flights to Mumbai from September 17, 2020, a report said.
Indians in USA can board Virgin Atlantic’s India flights only from New York begining this September until further notice. Currently, the airline is not giving direct connections to and from other US cities. Delta Air Lines will connect Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington IAD to New York for Virgin Atlantic’s India flights.
According to Times of India, Virgin Atlantic will connect Delhi and Mumbai with London under the travel bubble arrangement India has created with the UK. It plans to have three flights a week on London Heathrow-Delhi route from September 2; and four flights a week to Mumbai from a fortnight later.
Last week British Airways had also announced it will August 17 resume “relief” flights from London Heathrow to the country on which people eligible to travel as per current government norms can do so. BA will operate five flights a week from Delhi and Mumbai to London Heathrow. Hyderabad and Bangalore will have four BA flights a week to London.
