Air India begins nonstop service from Dulles to New Delhi
Published
Washington Dulles International Airport has begun nonstop Air India service to New Delhi.
The inaugural flight was marked Friday with a ceremony at the Dulles airport attended by delegations from the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, Air India and the Indian Embassy.
India currently represents 6 percent market share of all international travelers to the commonwealth, making it Virginia's fourth-largest market.
As part of an effort to stimulate travel to Virginia through Dulles Airport, Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposed a $1.25 million incentive package to Air India over three years beginning in fiscal year 2018.
In addition, the District of Columbia plans to provide $250,000 this year to support the partnership. Tourism marketing support will be provided by the Virginia Tourism Corp., Capital Region USA (CRUSA), and Destination DC.
In 2015, India was the fourth-largest overseas market for the Capital Region, which welcomed more than 122,000 Indian visitors—a 25 percent increase from 2014.
