Air India will remove the fuel stop currently required on its Delhi-Toronto route from August 1, deploying a new Boeing 787-9 aircraft to operate the service non-stop, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.

The change is expected to cut flying time on the outbound Delhi-Toronto leg by nearly three hours, from about 20 hours including the current stop in Vienna to 17 hours, according to Air India. The return Toronto-Delhi service, which already operates non-stop, will continue to take up to 16 hours.

Air India said the route will move to daily flights from August 1, up from the current five weekly services. The airline had trimmed frequency on the route between June and July this year, citing sharp fuel price increases and broader geopolitical developments affecting flight operations.

Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer and managing director of Air India, said Toronto had long been one of the airline's key international gateways given Canada's large Indian diaspora, and that introducing the new Boeing 787-9 on the route was a milestone in bringing an upgraded travel experience to customers between India and Canada.

According to the airline, the new aircraft will introduce Premium Economy service on the Delhi-Toronto route for the first time, alongside Business and Economy class cabins. The aircraft is configured with 30 business class suites, 28 premium economy seats and 238 economy seats.

Air India said the Business Class suites include fully flat beds and large touchscreen entertainment displays, while Premium Economy will offer wider seating in a 2-3-2 layout with additional legroom. The airline added that all cabins will feature a new inflight entertainment system with an expanded content library, along with revised onboard menus and amenities.

Under the revised schedule, flight AI187 will depart Delhi at 1:45 a.m. and arrive in Toronto at 9:30 a.m. local time, while the return flight AI188 will depart Toronto at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Delhi at 2:05 p.m. local time the following day, Air India said.

Air India, part of the Tata Group, has been rolling out new aircraft and cabin products across its international network as part of a broader transformation effort since the airline's privatisation.

Source: PR