NEW DELHI: India’s national carrier Air India will start three weekly flights from Amritsar to Toronto via Delhi from September 27.
Union aviation minister Hardeep Puri announced this today when he tweeted, “Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice weekly @airindiain flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada. The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27 Sept. 2019.”
Nanak Naam Chardhi Kala,
Tere Bhaane Sarbat Da Bhala.Delighted to announce the commencement of a thrice weekly @airindiain flight between Sri Amritsar Sahib and Canada.
The Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight will commence on the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27 Sept. 2019. pic.twitter.com/xSqzxpQVQr
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) June 14, 2019
In another tweet, Puri said, “I am glad I was able to help in fulfilling this long pending demand of citizens of Guru Nagri & devotees who travel from North Americas to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Durgiyana Mandir & other holy places. This flight will mark an auspicious beginning of a new journey.”
In Ottawa, Indian high commissioner Vikas Swarup described the recommencement of Air India flights to Canada after many years as `greet news’.
@airindiain returns to Canada! Delighted by announcement made by Hon'ble Minister of Civil Aviation @HardeepSPuri that from September 27 there will be a thrice weekly Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flight. This is great news as we celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak pic.twitter.com/CPQfBBzmoR
— Vikas Swarup (@VikasSwarup) June 14, 2019
“It will now be a matter of pride for Indo-Canadians to fly by India’s national carrier to India. I hope this flight is non-stop. Moreover, Air India now has an advantage as it is part of Star Alliance. Another thing that Air India must do is focus on business-class passengers. Jet Airways never did promotion for business class travellers,” said Winnipeg Aviation executive Hemant Shah.
Shah said Air India must fly non-stop to Canada because some other airlines are already flying non-stop and changing flights is a great inconvenience for passengers. “If Air India can operate many direct flights to the US, why not Canada?” he asked.
According to Madhavi Kapoor, President of Nanak Flights, the announcement of Air India’s Amritsar-Delhi-Toronto flights three times a week couldn’t have come at a better time.
“The recent reduction in capacity of flights between Canada and India has created a high demand and overpriced summer inventory, resulting in many travellers delaying or cancelling their travel plans to India,” she said.
Madhavi said Toronto-Amritsar flights are a big boon for those wishing to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, Durgiyana Mandir and other holy places in Punjab. “Seniors and families too will greatly benefit from this new service,” she added.
Air India had suspended its flights to Canada in June 1985 after the bombing of Kanishka Flight 182 by Khalistani militants. Those Toronto-Delhi flights used to halt in London for two hours.
Air India resumed operations to Canada after two decades in October 2005 by announcing 14-hour, non-stop Delhi-Toronto flights. After some time, those flights were stopped.
But now with Jet Airways going out of business and Air Canada temporarily halting its Toronto-Delhi flights because of space closure by Pakistan, Air India flights would have no dearth of passengers in all categories.
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