Examined: Air India's Top 5 International Routes By Seat Availability
Indian flag carrier, founded in 1946, is the second-largest airline in India by passengers carried behind Indigo Air. The airline operates scheduled flights to over 100 destinations worldwide using a fleet of nearly 150 aircraft. Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows the airline’s largest international routes in terms of seats offered in July.
Offerings | Numbers |
---|---|
Flight Distance | 508 miles (one way) |
Average number of seats per departure | 180 |
Number of rotations | 186 |
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) | 17 million |
At the bottom of our list of Air India’s largest international routes by seat availability is a scheduled rotation between Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu, Nepal. In July, the Indian flag carrier is scheduled to operate 186 round-trip flights on the nearly two-hour journey between the city pairs.
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
Air India operates three flights a day using its Airbus A320 aircraft, which is configured with 180 seats. Air India competes with four other airlines on this popular route. Two other Indian airlines, Indigo Air and Vistara, operate multiple daily flights between the two cities. Nepalese airline Bhutan operates two daily flights, whereas Nepal (airline) operates a single daily flight between the two cities.
With 33,480 round-trip seats in July, Air India offers over 17 million Available Seat Miles (ASMs).
Offerings | Numbers |
---|---|
Flight Distance | 4,487 miles (one way) |
Average number of seats per departure | 328 |
Number of rotations | 124 |
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) | 183 million |
Number four on our list is a scheduled rotation between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Air India is scheduled to operate 124 round-trip flights to the west. Operating two daily flights onboard the carrier’s 328-seater Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, LHR is Air India’s long-standing route.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
India’s major airport is also served by British Airways using a variety of aircraft, including Boeing 777-200, Boeing 787-8 and -9s. The 9 hours 30 minutes journey is also served (once a day) by Virgin Atlantic using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft. With 40,662 round-trip seats in July, Air India offers nearly 183 million ASMs.
Boarding can only begin when the cabin temperature in all zones is 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or below.
Offerings | Numbers |
---|---|
Flight Distance | 1,197 miles (one way) |
Average number of seats per departure | 245 |
Number of rotations | 168 |
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) | 49 million |
Number three on our list is a scheduled rotation between BOM and Dubai International Airport (DXB). In July, India’s flag carrier is scheduled to operate 168 round-trip flights on the two-hour journey between the city pairs.
Air India operates up to three daily flights using a variety of narrowbody and widebody aircraft, including the Airbus A320, Airbus A350-900, and Boeing 787-8. With an average of 245 seats per departure, the airline operates morning, afternoon, and evening flights from Mumbai.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Air India competes with Spicejet, Vistara, Indigo Air, the Middle Eastern giant Emirates, and its partner FlyDubai. Emirates operates up to five daily flights using its Boeing 777-200LR, 777-300ER, and Airbus A380-800 equipment. With 41,080 round-trip seats in July, Air India offers over 49 million ASMs.
Offerings | Numbers |
---|---|
Flight Distance | 4,190 miles (one way) |
Average number of seats per departure | 280 |
Number of rotations | 150 |
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) | 176 million |
The runner-up on our list is a scheduled rotation between the two capitals, DEL and LHR. Air India is scheduled to operate 150 round-trip flights to Western Europe. The carrier uses a mix of Boeing 777-300ER and 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, operating up to three daily flights.
Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Vistara are highly popular corridors with multiple daily flights. With 41,964 round-trip seats in July, Air India offers over 176 million ASMs.
Offerings | Numbers |
---|---|
Flight Distance | 1,359 miles (one way) |
Average number of seats per departure | 235 |
Number of rotations | 256 |
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) | 82 million |
A scheduled rotation between India’s capital, Delhi (DEL), and DXB is topped our list of Air India's largest international routes by seat availability. In July, Air India is scheduled to operate 256 round-trip flights on the three-hour, 30-minute journey between the city pairs.
Photo: Eurospot
Air India operates up to four flights a day using a variety of aircraft, including Airbus A319, Airbus A350-900, and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Air India competes with Indigo Air, SpiceJet, Emirates, and FlyDubai on this corridor. With 60,196 round-trip seats in July, Air India offers over 82 million ASMs.