Air India signs new codeshare deal to boost Baltic travel
What's the story
Air India has announced a new codeshare agreement with Latvia's national airline, airBaltic. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, is aimed at enhancing travel connectivity from India to the Baltic region. This development comes after an interline arrangement between the two airlines was established in June this year.
Code sharing
Air India's flight code now on airBaltic services
As part of the unilateral codeshare, Air India has begun placing its 'AI' flight code on airBaltic-operated services. These are between Riga and several major European cities where Air India operates, including Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Milan Malpensa, Vienna, Zurich and London Gatwick. Now travelers from India can book a single ticket for their journey to Latvia even if they have to travel via an airBaltic-operated leg to reach Riga.
Regional connectivity
Expanded reach to the wider Baltic region
The codeshare agreement also extends Air India's reach to the wider Baltic region. Through their existing interline partnership, travelers can connect to Tallinn in Estonia and Vilnius in Lithuania via select Air India gateways in Europe. This further enhances travel options for passengers looking to explore these destinations from India.
Flight network
Air India's current European routes
Air India currently operates non-stop flights from Delhi to several European cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Milan Malpensa, Vienna and Zurich. The airline also has flights from Mumbai to Frankfurt and Amritsar/Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. These routes now serve as major connecting points for onward travel to the Baltic region under this new codeshare agreement with airBaltic.
Strategic expansion
Air India's commitment to global connectivity
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, said the expanded partnership with airBaltic shows their commitment to providing seamless global connectivity. He added that Latvia and the wider Baltic region are emerging travel markets that were not as easily accessible before this agreement. Since its privatization in 2022, Air India has been aggressively expanding its global partnerships. The airline now has 24 codeshare agreements and nearly 100 interline partnerships, covering over 800 destinations worldwide.