Air India to begin nonstop service from Dulles to New Delhi

Air India in early July will begin nonstop service between Washington Dulles International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport near New Delhi.

The airline will offer three nonstop, roundtrip flights per week. The governor’s office expects the air service to bring an additional 30,000 tourist and business travelers to the Capital Region, which includes Northern Virginia, creating an economic impact of $30 million.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he met with Air India executives during a November 2015 trade and marketing mission to India.

McAuliffe proposed a $1.25 million incentive package over a three-year period beginning in fiscal year 2018 to support Air India and stimulate travel to Virginia through Washington Dulles International Airport. In addition, the District of Columbia plans to provide $250,000 this year to support the partnership.

In 2015, the Capital Region had more than 122,000 visitors from India, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2014.

By 2020, arrivals from India to the U.S. are projected to increase by nearly 7 percent, making India the ninth overseas market for the U.S. Visitation to the Capital Region from India is expected to double by 2025.