new Delhi: aeroflot Will operate a Delhi-Moscow flight on Sunday (March 6), before that route is suspended along with all or most other international flights of the Russian carrier. Under the India-Russia air bubble, both Aeroflot and Air India operate twice weekly flights. Moscow and Delhi.
“Aeroflot aircraft flying from Moscow-Delhi will fly back to Moscow on Sunday as a scheduled flight. Subsequent flights may be suspended like all or most of the airline’s other international routes,” say sources.
An Air India flight (AI 195) operated from Delhi to Moscow SVO airport on Saturday. “We have Delhi-Moscow flights on Wednesday and Saturday. We are operating this route,” said an AI official.
The Delhi route to Aeroflot is doing very well. Sources say the airline used its Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 in the region.
“The occupancy was over 80-85%. Even business class was seeing good demand. AI deploys its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route. The Maharajas still cross Russian airspace at their highly popular American nonstops.
American carrier United has suspended its Delhi-San Francisco and Mumbai-Newark direct flights after it decided to stop flying over Russian airspace. United’s Delhi-Newark and Delhi-Chicago flights are operational because they avoid the airspace. While AI may consider adding more US nonstops, Vistara Thinking about the same too.
Senior executives of both Indian and international airlines say India could become a transit point between west and east as western airlines are not crossing Russian airspace. For example, a London-Beijing flight will now have to fly north to Delhi, then northeast India, before heading north towards China.
“Oil is on fire with prices touching $120, so it will be too costly for airlines to operate long direct routes to avoid Russian airspace. It makes sense to stay somewhere else to refuel. These options are being weighed,” said a senior official of a major international airline.
“Aeroflot aircraft flying from Moscow-Delhi will fly back to Moscow on Sunday as a scheduled flight. Subsequent flights may be suspended like all or most of the airline’s other international routes,” say sources.
An Air India flight (AI 195) operated from Delhi to Moscow SVO airport on Saturday. “We have Delhi-Moscow flights on Wednesday and Saturday. We are operating this route,” said an AI official.
The Delhi route to Aeroflot is doing very well. Sources say the airline used its Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 in the region.
“The occupancy was over 80-85%. Even business class was seeing good demand. AI deploys its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route. The Maharajas still cross Russian airspace at their highly popular American nonstops.
American carrier United has suspended its Delhi-San Francisco and Mumbai-Newark direct flights after it decided to stop flying over Russian airspace. United’s Delhi-Newark and Delhi-Chicago flights are operational because they avoid the airspace. While AI may consider adding more US nonstops, Vistara Thinking about the same too.
Senior executives of both Indian and international airlines say India could become a transit point between west and east as western airlines are not crossing Russian airspace. For example, a London-Beijing flight will now have to fly north to Delhi, then northeast India, before heading north towards China.
“Oil is on fire with prices touching $120, so it will be too costly for airlines to operate long direct routes to avoid Russian airspace. It makes sense to stay somewhere else to refuel. These options are being weighed,” said a senior official of a major international airline.