Kip Powick Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 An India-based airline plans to start daily flights between Toronto and New Delhi later this year, filling a void that will be left when Air Canada abandons that route in May. As part of aggressive global-expansion plans, Mumbai-based Jet Airways will offer flights five days a week out of Pearson Airport starting Aug. 23. Flights will become daily in fall, Bala Chandrashekar, Jet's general manager for Canada and the American Midwest, said yesterday. Officials from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority are in New Delhi meeting with India's aviation minister to explore the possibility of further expanding flights into Toronto. The Canada-India open skies agreement allows for 35 flights a week between the countries. Also beginning in August, Jet will offer daily flights from Newark, N.J., to Mumbai. Both routes will operate via Brussels. "There is a huge Indian population here, and they don't have any connection to Delhi or Mumbai right now," said Chandrashekar. "Our market research shows this is a very lucrative route." Air Canada decided in February to discontinue daily flights to New Delhi in favour of boosting service to China. "Because of the seasonal nature of the Delhi traffic, it was difficult to fill the flights on a year-round basis," with demand dropping off in summer, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said at the time. That decision had no impact on Jet's expansion here, said Chandrashekar. "It's not because of Air Canada pulling back that we are planning to start. It was always in the cards. We don't really consider Air Canada a threat" because Jet has opulent service and the lure of homegrown loyalty. Indo-Canadian business leaders who had decried Air Canada's move were elated by yesterday's news. "We're just ecstatic," said Ajit Khanna, president of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. "If we're going to say that India is important from a Canadian trade perspective, this restores the link just when Air Canada removed it. Done properly that route can fly, so to speak, and be lucrative." Jet, launched in 1993 by Indian businessman Naresh Goyal, is rated among the highest of India's domestic airlines for customer satisfaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaEH Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 What's up with Brussels? Etihad flies to YYZ via Brussels as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Jet Airways is a good carrier. Modern, clean, well maintained fleet. Many ex-pat Canadians working there. Best maintenance of any carrier in India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomerPete Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 YYZ here we come! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thebean Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 YYZ here we come! Pete Are you in India? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomerPete Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Are you in India? I am today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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