Friday, April 22 2005 10:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Air India will introduce direct flights from London to Kolkata from June 4 and from Birmingham to Amritsar from May 15, its Chairman and Managing Director V Thulasidas announced in London yesterday (Apr 21, 2005).

The Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham flight will have a link to Toronto while the London-Kolkata flight will terminate at Dhaka, benefiting people, particularly the Non-Resident Indians in the region, Thulasidas told reporters.

"To begin with there will be three flights a week from London and Kolkata and then we will look at the possibilities of increasing the frequency depending on the response and the market," he said.

As regards Air-India Express, he said it would be India's first international budget airline. "Initially it will commence service between India and the Gulf and it will be low cost and low fare service.

"We have decided to launch this ambitious project - all economy class - starting from April 29 and then start a service to South East Asia," he said.

Air-India Express will don the colours and style of a culture ambassador for India and it would be a flying banner for the country with Indian art, music and symbols depicted all over the body of the three aircraft in the fleet, he said.

Referring to the vast strides Air India has made during the last one year, Thulasidas said, "Last year we had 10 flights and in 2005 we will have 24 flights - wide bodied aircraft."