Direct Flight From Bengaluru To San Francisco Will Cover 14,003 km Making It Air India's Longest Route

Things are already beginning to look up it seems, and while travel restrictions make it hard to dream big, this latest development seems pretty promising. There's a treat in store for travellers.

Air India will launch direct, twice-weekly flights between Hyderabad and Chicago on January 9, 2021, and between Bengaluru and San Francisco on January 11, 2021.

Reuters

'This would be the first non-stop flight between Bengaluru and the United States, connecting the world's two tech hubs, the original Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley of India,' Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, said in a statement.

'The new non-stop service is expected to meet the demand of corporate customers for travel to SFO and adjoining areas in the US. Air India plans to operate a 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft, to serve the largest unserved international origin/destination (O/D) market for BLR Airport,' the statement went on.

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Reuters

"We plan to launch Hyderabad-Chicago as a twice weekly from January 9. The date for Bengaluru-SFO is yet to be finalised. We are awaiting US transportation security administration clearance for both these routes," a senior AI official said, reported TOI.

In a lot of firsts here, there are few more. This will be the first such planned route between south India and the United States. This route will also become Air India's and the US carrier's longest operational route spanning 8,701 miles (about 14,003 km).

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Reuters

On May 6, 2021, United will start its direct flight on this route. Not far behind, American Airlines, too, is scheduled to set up a route between Bengaluru and Seattle but not before the winter of 2021.

"This route, at this point in time, will be third in the ranking for longest routes operated by all carriers," a United spokesperson said, reported TOI.

Bookings started on November 25, 2020.

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