Air India likely to fly to six new world destinations in 2017: CMD

Air India expects to add six new international destinations next year, its Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Lohani said here on Friday.

"We have added four international destinations this year, one of the biggest expansion by a globally leading airline," he told travel agents and business partners at a Diwali celebration dinner. Its latest expansion will be Air India Express service between Singapore, Kolkata and Dhaka, starting from November 19. Air India's new service from Delhi to Madrid commences from December 1. It will also connect Singapore, he said. Air India expects to add six new international destinations next year, Lohani said, without giving details as to which destinations will be added.

Lohani, first time in Singapore, also attended the board meeting as chairman of AISATS, a ground handling joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services. AISTATS handles Air India and customer airlines ground handling services in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Mangalore. Air India is also looking at expanding connectivities between Indian tier 2 and tier 3 cities, he said, asking the travel agents to expand the scope of air travellers out of Singapore.