Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Air India Express expands operations in city, launches direct flights to Bengaluru, Kolkata

Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Air India Express has announced the beginning of flights from Ayodhya to major metros of Bengaluru and Kolkata from January 17. The airline will operate direct flights on these routes, significantly boosting connectivity to and from Ayodhya, its third station in Uttar Pradesh.

Air India Express will operate its inaugural flights between Ayodhya and Delhi on December 30, alongside the inauguration of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham.

The first flight on the Bengaluru-Ayodhya route, will depart on January 17, 2024, at 08:05, reaching Ayodhya at 10:35. The return flight will leave Ayodhya at 15:40, arriving in Bengaluru at 18:10.

On the Ayodhya-Kolkata route, the flight will take off from Ayodhya at 11:05, landing in Kolkata at 12:50. The Kolkata - Ayodhya flight will depart from Kolkata at 13:25, touching down in Ayodhya at 15:10.

Speaking about the launch of the new routes, Dr Ankur Garg, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India Express, said "Our dedication to expanding connectivity throughout India remains steadfast, driven by our expanding fleet. The introduction of non-stop services connecting Ayodhya to Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata underscores this commitment. As pivotal hubs in our network, Bengaluru and Kolkata will serve as gateways to Ayodhya, providing pilgrims from South India and Eastern India with convenient one-stop itineraries."

Ayodhya is the third airport in Uttar Pradesh in the Air India Express network, following Varanasi and Lucknow. The airline connects UP to both domestic and international destinations.

Air India Express made history as the pioneer airline to commence Varanasi-Sharjah flights, marking the first international connection for Varanasi.

With a weekly schedule of 21 flights, the airline connects the sacred city to Bengaluru and Sharjah. Air India Express offers 60 weekly flights from Lucknow, connecting the capital city of Uttar Pradesh to Dubai and prominent Indian cities Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune.

Bengaluru is the largest domestic station on Air India Express network with 344 weekly flights, directly connecting the city to 22 destinations. 

Additionally, the airline provides direct connectivity from Kolkata to 6 destinations, operating a total of 85 weekly flights.

Recently, the airline also launched the Vista VIP, its business class-like product, in a bid to enhance customer experience.

The offering includes wider seats and increased legroom, gourmair hot meals, additional baggage allowance, and Xpress ahead priority boarding services.

Air India Express also became the very first airline to operate a direct flight from Surat to Dubai on the day when the Surat International Airport had its new international terminal inaugurated.

Meanwhile, the first flight from Delhi is set to land in Ayodhya on December 30, 2023. Following this, regular commercial operations for direct flights between Delhi and Ayodhya will kick off starting January 6, 2024. Additionally, tri-weekly flights connecting Ahmedabad and Ayodhya are scheduled to commence from January 11, 2024.

IndiGo, the leading carrier in India by market share, has revealed plans for direct flights between Mumbai and Ayodhya starting January 15, 2024.

The outbound flight, 6E-5378, will depart Mumbai at 12:30 am, reaching Ayodhya at 2:45 am. The return flight, 6E-5379, is scheduled to leave Ayodhya at 3:15 pm and touch down in Mumbai at 5:40 pm.