Air India on Wednesday launched its first non-stop flight between Delhi and Manila, strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia. The service will operate five times a week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — using Airbus A321LR aircraft configured with Business, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins.
The inaugural flight departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport in the presence of senior Air India officials, Josel F. Ignacio, Ambassador of the Philippines to India, and Maria Cynthia P. Pelayo, Minister and Consul General at the Philippine Embassy. Flight AI2362 leaves Delhi at 1:20 pm, arriving in Manila at 10:40 pm. The return flight, AI2361, departs Manila at 11:40 pm and lands in Delhi at 3:50 am the following day.
Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, said the new route will tap into growing demand from Indian travellers for direct connections to the Philippines. “These services will showcase the Philippines’ culture and landscapes to Indian travellers while fostering trade and cultural exchange, and offering onward connectivity to Europe and North America via Delhi,” he said.
With Manila, Air India now serves eight destinations across seven Southeast Asian countries. The airline, along with its low-cost arm Air India Express, operates a combined fleet of over 300 aircraft, serving 55 domestic and 45 international destinations.
In a parallel development, Air India and Airbus inaugurated a pilot training centre at the Air India Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram, Haryana. Spread over 12,000 square metres, the facility will eventually house 10 full-flight simulators, including eight for the A320 family and two for the A350, aimed at training over 5,000 pilots over the next decade.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, who attended the inauguration, described the centre as a key step in supporting India’s growing aviation sector. Airbus India President Jürgen Westermeier called it “a strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry.”
Wilson said the training facility complements Air India’s expansion plans and supports the airline’s efforts to modernise its fleet and strengthen India’s self-reliance in aviation skills. |
