Bangalore becomes the fifth city in India to be connected to the UK’s second-largest airport. Air India has announced that they are going to start non-stop service between Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, and London Gatwick (LGW) from August 18. The demand for traveling between India and the UK is increasing at a growing rate. Keeping that in mind, Air India is soon going to launch another route between Bangalore and London Gatwick Airport. The main reason for launching this new route is to meet the growing demand for passengers to travel, as well as to increase connectivity between India and the UK. The airline said it expects the route to be one of many it will operate at Gatwick on top of the currently busy Heathrow schedule out of India. Passengers will get a modern and comfortable flying experience in the state-of-the-art Dream Liner aircraft, the airline has assured.
The schedule of the flights is as follows.
| FLIGHT | SECTOR | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL | Days of Operation |
| AI177 | Bengaluru-London Gatwick | 1305 Hrs | 1905 Hrs | Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun |
| AI178 | London Gatwick – Bengaluru | 2035 Hrs | 1050 Hrs (+1) | Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun |
Overview
- start regular flights between Bengaluru and London Gatwick to meet the growing demand for travel between India and the UK.
- operate five weekly services using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which is renowned as a luxurious aircraft.
- This new route reinforces Air India’s global network expansion commitment.
Bengaluru to Gatwick
Air India has decided that the first flight of this route will fly on August 18. They will operate five weekly services between the two destinations using Boeing 787 Dream liner aircraft, featuring 18 lie-flat seats in business class and 238 seats in economy. Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson expressed considerable hope in this regard.
Earlier there were two airlines connecting Bengaluru and London, now three airlines will connect. Note that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer nonstop flights from BLR to London’s main airport Heathrow (LHR).
Earlier, Air India did not offer any flights between Bangalore and Gatwick, but now it will. Airlines have recently decided to expand their schedules. With this service, They expect, the total number of flights to London Gatwick will increase by 17 times weekly. The flight also connects four Indian cities with London Gatwick namely Ahmadabad, Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi.
Air India operates more than 30 weekly flights connecting Bangalore and Heathrow, along with six weekly flights to Birmingham.
In the works for months
With advanced technology and improved fuel efficiency, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the ideal aircraft for long-haul journeys. Its various features, that enhance users’ experience, include large windows, improved cabin pressure, and humidity levels that reduce jet lag, as well as quieter engines.
Another recent announcement by Air India that delighted passengers was that they had planned BLR-LGW flights for some time. Various newspapers reported that Air India was planning to start this service on 1 April, but when they decided to start the flight service from Bangalore to Gatwick, they decided to remove this route.
Another flight that Air India is going to start to connect to other destinations in India
Air India has also decided to expand its services to other international destinations, starting flights between Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) on June 1. They are using Airbus A32oneo aircraft for this router. This is a nonstop flight offered by Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines to Vietnam.
Air India has also decided to add Dreamliner flights to three European cities and launch a new service from Delhi to Switzerland. From June 22, they also decided to increase Amsterdam flights from weekly to four daily and Milan flights from weekly to five daily. Another flight will be added to Copenhagen which will increase the frequency of the route to 5 times weekly.
The carrier added a nonstop service between Delhi and Zurich from the 16th to strengthen services between India and Switzerland this month. Zurich is recognized worldwide as the gateway to Switzerland. Air India has also decided to deploy the Dreamliner in Zurich as well as other European routes. They will operate the service four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
About London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick is said to be the second port of call for airlines after filling the Heathrow slot. For example, Emirates flights fly to three airports to connect London, such as Heathrow, Stansted, and Gatwick. London is linked by The Gatwick Express, so Gatwick Airport is just 15 minutes away from the city center. It also takes 30 minutes to reach Central London.
