The American Telugu Association (ATA) has sought direct flights from Hyderabad to several US cities as there is considerable Telugu population there.
An ATA delegation, including president-elect Jayanth Challa, met Campbell Wilson, Air India‘s CEO, and the Air India and TATA Group delegation in Washington, DC, on June 25 and submitted a memorandum to him.
At a programme, Wilson gave a presentation on Air India’s initiatives to expand in the US market and continued service improvement after the TATA group’s acquisition from the Government of India. He said Air India ordered more than 400 new planes and retrofitted others. The ATA delegation gave a memorandum requesting direct flights from Hyderabad to the US cities.
Direct flights would benefit both economies, but the stakes are higher for China, where a recovery in overseas travel after the COVID-19 pandemic is lagging, while India’s aviation sector booms. Several times over the past year or so, China’s government and airlines have asked India’s civil aviation authorities to re-establish direct air links, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, with one saying China considers this a “big issue”.
“The Telugu community is the fastest-growing, with over 1.25 million Telugu-speaking people in the US. Further, a large Telugu business community in the US requires direct flights to Hyderabad,” the delegation said.It was pointed out that ATA sent emails and letters to Air India about a year ago emphasizing the need for direct flights between Hyderabad and the US cities.
The CEO said India’s new civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu had also made some suggestions.
