New direct flights from Birmingham to India hailed a success
FIGURES released from Air India and Birmingham Airport suggest strong demand for direct flights to the Indian sub-continent from the region.
Air India launched a direct service from Birmingham Airport to Delhi on August 1 and since their flights commenced they have carried 20,500 passengers and the flights have been nearly 80% full.
The latest figures from Birmingham Airport show a 13.5% increase in the number of long haul passengers using the Airport in September, compared to the same month last year.
The new direct route to Delhi have been welcomed by leading members of the British Asian business community locally.
Jason Wouhra, director of East End Foods and chairman of the Midlands Institute of Directors, said: “The ability to fly direct from the Midlands to India is a game-changer for businesses like mine. The reduction in time saves me money, allows me to work more effectively when I get there and crucially makes it easier for my suppliers and customers overseas.
“It shows that the Midlands is serious about building trade links with the sub-continent and I hope that this is the first flight of many.”
And Ninder Johal, chair of the Black Country Asian Business Association, said: “Having recently been to India on a trade mission, it was fantastic that we were able to plan for Midlands businesses to fly locally from Birmingham as opposed to making an arduous trip to London.
“For those celebrating the festival of Diwali it is brilliant that both local businesses and local communities are able to use their nearest airport in order to get to India to celebrate for both business and religious reasons.
“I understand and am delighted to hear that the Air India flights to Delhi have been such a brilliant success in terms of numbers travelling via Birmingham. We hope to see more routes to one of the fastest growing economies soon.”
At the annual Routes Conference held in Las Vegas in early October, Delhi International Airport and Birmingham Airport signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise a working relationship and commit to further developing links between the two cities.
