Air India will increase the frequency of its
flights between Amritsar and Birmingham from two per week to five, owing to high demand from passengers.
The five weekly service is expected to start in the summer. The inaugural non-stop flight between Birmingham and Amritsar had taken off on February 20.
"The recently introduced Birmingham to Amritsar flights will soon be operating five days a week," said British Sikh MP
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who spearheaded the idea of connecting the two cities.
"It's been in the pipeline a while but now the Indian Cabinet has given the green light for it," he added. "It started on two days a week, last month they agreed to make it three days and now it will become five days a week. I thank the UK and Punjabi travellers for the enthusiasm with which they have made the flights successful," Dhesi added.
Dhesi had gone to India last summer and met various Union ministers including civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, to push the case of connecting Amritsar to the UK via a direct flight, avoiding the need to transfer in Delhi, saying it would be beneficial to the Punjab and Indian economy.
He spoke to Union minister for social justice and empowerment Vijay Sampla on the phone on Thursday morning and had it confirmed it was now being increased to five days a week.
Dhesi shared the news on Facebook and Sampla wrote on in Hindi above his post "Your words will inspire me with more strength" after sharing Dhesi's post.
Dhesi said he was thrilled that Sampla had launched a direct flight between Adampur and Delhi from 1 May. "I hope that very soon they will give the good news of the introduction of the London Amritsar route," Dhesi added.
Dhesi said that the Cabinet in India had only just reached its decision and Air India would receive its directive soon. Air India in London was unaware of the developments.
Latest Comment
Impact of privatization, Air India wants to go into profit before privatization. Otherwise who was caring for Amritsar - Birmingham flights. Soon there will be a London - Amritsar flight too.Harjap Singh AujlaShakila Lambe,
PR and Sales for Air India in the UK, told TOI, that a third flight between Amritsar and Birmingham was being introduced this Saturday, 5 May. But she said she did not know about the increase to five days.
"The twice weekly fights between Birmingham and Amritsar on Tuesday and Thursdays have been operating at 90 to 100 per cent capacity. It takes just 7.5 hours compared to how long it used to take via Delhi so is very popular and we are seeing elderly passengers, youngsters, British and Indian Punjabis making use of it, mainly for leisure," Lambe said. Direct flights between Amritsar and Birmingham had stopped in 2010