I don’t have any source for this, but I read somewhere that there are about 2.5 Million people living in USA of Indian origin. That is, 2.5 Million people who were born in India or are children or grandchildren of the people who were born in India.
A lot these 2.5 Million people visit India each year. Plus, India is a booming economy now. Many many foreigners visit India for business reasons.
Today, it is very inconvenient to fly to India, especially for the people who live in United States. It takes 2 days to get there. If I start my travel on a typical Air-India flight from New York to Mumbai on Monday, I will get to Mumbai on Wednesday. The airline options available to fly there is feeble. The restriction put upon foreign and domestic airlines by Indian government is choking off a potentially healthy tourism business for many Indian cities.
Many many people of Indian origin in USA come from the state of Gujarat in India. The city of Ahmedabad is the biggest city in Gujarat and many of these Indians in USA call Ahmedabad home. Still, to this day, there is no direct flight to Ahmedabad from United States. It is not that the airport at Ahmedabad is inadequate. That airport is good enough for a Boeing 747-400 to land and take off. I believe, only Air-India is allowed to go there, no foreign airliner has ever gone to Ahmedabad. All foreign flights; british airways, air france, KLM, Lufthansa; must go to Mumbai and unload all the Ahmedabad bound passenger to domestic Indian carriers.
This creates unnecessary hassles for the passengers, who fly over Ahmedabad en route to Mumbai and then come back to Ahmedabad on a domestic Indian carrier. Whenever the Ahmedabad airport opens up to foreign carriers, a flood of Indians will fly to India, more and often.
I am looking forward to that day, eagerly.
Ahmedabad airport is going through an big expansion. Hopefully, that will solve our problems. I live in Canada and we have direct flight from Toronto to New Delhi (Non Stop). However, the problem is, this Air Canada flight reaches Delhi at about 11.30pm and there is no connecting flight to Ahmedabad.
ReplyDeleteI was reading somewhere that they are planning (Air India) to start Ahmedabad - Delhi - Toronto flight in 2006.
There is direct flight between SFO/LAX to ahmedabad thrice a week. Singapore and Malyesian Airlines flies to Ahmedabad from US.
ReplyDeleteIs there any flights to Ahmedabad from Washington DC?
ReplyDeleteI agree; we should have a direct flight for Ahmadabad. I would not prefer to change for a domestic flight at Bombay. It’s horrible when you miss the domestic flight for Ahmadabad, at Bombay Airport. My flight from Newark to Bombay was late and the domestic flight from Bombay to Ahmadabad left without waiting for so many people…. It was so horrible night at Bombay Airport… Besides that there was a big harassment from Bombay Custom Department (so cold Thieves). People who want to go to Ahmadabad; changing flight at Bombay is nothing but time waste… We should have direct flight for Ahmadabad…
ReplyDelete