HAWK21M wrote: AI is in the News because its GOI controlled.The Media Focuses on it a lot. regds MEL
Not really MEL! The airline sucks and has spectacular incidents every few weeks. The media has no choice but to report them.
DN is also in the media a lot - about their delayed flights, and how the passengers group up and threaten the station manager!
If all is going well - the media does not have as much to report. But the moment something goes wrong - you can hope to get some press coverage, and with AI (and DN), something always seems to go wrong.
Perth and Sydney were being operated by AI do they still operate those routes now? No i guess but atleast on codeshare?-- Edited by the_380 at 16:46, 2006-06-30
AI has always stopped and started Australia.
With the Constellation it was Bombay-Singapore-Jakarta-Darwin-Sydney.
They had a Bombay-Singapore-Perth-Sydney-Fiji service operated by 707s. Fiji was dropped after the riots and the Indian community faced problems.
Then AI had a Bombay-Madras-Singapore-Perth-Sydney service.
Operated by one of AI's veteran's Captain Khusroo. The aircraft was AI's first 747-200 "Emperor Akbar" that unfortunately crashed off Bandra on January 1, 1978. (The last words of the pilot who operated that flight, to ATC where "Wish you a Happy New Year".) This was also the first time that Chennai airport got a 747 and AI's first 747 service to the South. Dropped again.
Then another Bombay-Madras-Singapore-Sydney service as codeshare with QANTAS Australia. Dropped again.
Air India then tried once more Bombay-Madras-Singapore-Jakarta-Perth with an A310.
Perth was knocked off, so it's now Bombay-Madras-Singapore-Jakarata with A310.
Currently, AI/IA have codeshare with Qantas from Singapore. For AI it is both from Singapore onwards as well as on QANTAS' A330 from Mumbai to Sydney. For IA also, it is from Singapore.
AI may restart Australia with the 777 once the new fleet gets in.
Or Indian may do the route with one of its 12 leased wide-bodies!!!!!!