Trends

The Indian skies are getting crowded. Just about every airline seems to be headed to India, from Continental to Lufthansa to Emirates to Mahan. It’s becoming a veritable UN in the sky! Air India, to keep up with demand, is buying 68 Boeing aircraft worth $7.9 billion.

International airlines are now flying more frequently and to smaller cities. Air France has 35 flights a week from Paris to India. Virgin Atlantic flies daily Bombay-London, and has upped its flights from four to seven. Iranian Airline Mahan Air added Cochin to its route network from Tehran, and already has flights to Delhi.

Finnair will launch non-stop flights from Helsinki-Delhi beginning October 2006. Qantas flies three times a week from Sydney to Bombay. Air Sahara has launched its Delhi-London flight, four times a week.

Air India has added direct flights from Pune to Dubai and Pune has become an international airport, as have Nagpur and Jaipur. Even domestic airlines are getting into the act. Indian Airlines is now headed to Singapore. If you are given to throwing up your hands at the traffic clogs on Indian highways, with their trucks, cars, camels, bullock carts and scooters, don’t scream to the heavens.