Air India resumes operations to Canada.

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Air India resumes operations to Canada
New Delhi, May. 15 (PTI): Air India today resumed its service from India to Toronto, the financial capital of Canada, after a gap of eight years, fulfilling a long-standing demand of Indians living in that country.

Air India's first service from New Delhi via Amritsar and Birmingham was flagged off at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here by Tourism Minister Renuka Chowdhury, and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who also launched a special service -- 'Swagat Seva' -- at the airport for providing help to foreign tourists.

Air India will operate three services a week to Toronto.

The national flag carrier had received a jolt when its Kanishka aircraft, a Boeing 747 flight from Toronto to Mumbai via London, was blown off the Irish coast in the Atlantic ocean, killing 329 passengers, in 1985.

Learning lessons from the past, special security measures have been taken by the Canadian authorities to protect the aircraft and passengers. The aircraft will land at Toronto's Pearson International Airport this evening.

Chowdhury said the 'Swagat Seva', a facilitation service evolved on the lines of 'Maharabba' in Dubai, would progressively be implemented in Mumbai and other international airports.

"There are five-million Indian tourists going to foreign destinations and India has become a major market for outbound tourists. This cannot be at the cost of domestic tourism which is affected by high cost of air travel. We have to reverse this trend", the Tourism Minister said.

A proposal to instal GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) system on all taxis at the airport is also being considered by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministries, along with having gift shops and money-changers after the immigration and customs counters in the departure area of the international airports.

Two decades after the bombing of Kanishka, a British Columbia Supreme Court had on March 16 acquitted prime accused Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik, of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the downing of the Air India plane.

However, following public outcry against the verdict, former Ontario Premier Bob Rae, was appointed to advice the Canadian Government whether a public inquiry was needed into the disaster after the acquittals.
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source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200505151001.htm

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19 years 9 months

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What aircraft is being used?

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20 years 2 months

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They will be using 777s. I think the bigger news for members on here is that they are starting BHX. Isnt that Tom???

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18 years 10 months

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Inaugral flight today operated by 777 VT-AIJ.

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19 years 11 months

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No pictures? :confused: :(

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20 years 2 months

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Dont fear Tom is coming with some. he has 40 lol

Member for

19 years 11 months

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40???? :eek:

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20 years 8 months

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Not 40 of the AI 777....just 40 pics from the day ;) although that will be narrowed down because some are not so great. I got about 5 of it that were OK.

I will post them soon. :D

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20 years 8 months

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This article makes for some interesting reading..........

Air India launches Amritsar link

India's national carrier Air India has launched its first flight linking the Sikh city of Amritsar via Birmingham in the UK to Toronto in Canada.

Three flights a week will cater for the growing numbers of Sikhs and Punjabis travelling to their ancestral homes from North America and the UK.

The first 10 flights from Raja Sansi airport are sold out, officials say.

The service is expected to boost religious tourism around the Sikhs' holiest shrine, the Golden Temple.

Airport makeover

Sunday's inaugural flight was flagged off by the federal civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, and Punjab's chief minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

The Punjabi community has long demanded a direct air connection between their home state and Western countries where a large number of them are settled.

To handle the increased air traffic, the airport at Amritsar is being given a $15m makeover which includes a new terminal building and modern landing aids.

Air India's Regional Director for India, Capt PP Singh, told the BBC that "the response has been huge".

As well as the first 10 flights already selling out, "there are heavy bookings for subsequent days"

'Prosperity'

One woman visiting Punjab from her home in New York, Rubina Boparai, said: "All this is most exciting. I am now waiting for the day when I will be able to fly directly to New York from Amritsar and be spared the harassment of a day-long drive to Delhi."

Kirpal Singh Duggal, a frequent traveller to the UK, said: "It is like flying directly from one home to another."

Mr Patel said the new flight would initiate a phase of growth and prosperity in Punjab.

He said the Amritsar-Toronto service would soon be upgraded to a daily one and in the coming months, both Air India and the state's domestic carrier, Indian Airlines, would start other passenger and cargo services from the city.

Services will also be extended to include new, budget Air India Express flights from Amritsar to the Gulf countries and other Western destinations.

Link - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4548547.stm

Well i hope the route does very well! :D