These Are India’s Longest US-Bound Routes

A number of long-haul flights connect India with the United States. All the top five longest flights are to the West Coast (San Francisco) or New York City (JFK and Newark). Air India serves most of these routes, which carried more than 1 million passengers to the US in 2023. India is now ranked as the world’s most populous country (having just overtaken China), while the United States is the world’s third most populous country. These are the top five longest nonstop flights from the US to India, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company​​​​​​.

5

Delhi to San Francisco

At 7,706 miles, the route from San Francisco to Delhi is the fifth longest route connecting the US with India

New Delhi is India’s capital and one of the world’s largest metropolitan cities (with a metro population of around 33 million, depending on methodology), while the Bay Area has a population of almost 10 million. Air India is the carrier serving this route with nonstop flights. The flight takes 15 hours and 30 minutes. The nonstop flights are operated by Air India rather than IndioGo. Even though IndioGo is a larger airline by passengers carried, it focuses on domestic travel and international destinations limited mostly to India’s Asia/Middle East region.

Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock

The lack of US-based airline flights to India could be partly explained by Russia. The shortest route to India is over the Arctic Circle and over Russia. The US and other Western nations banned Russian airlines from US and European airspace in response to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia reciprocated and banned US carriers from its airspace. That said, Air Canada, United, and American Airlines offer some nonstop flights to India.

4

Mumbai to John F. Kennedy (NYC)

Air India flies 7,797 miles nonstop from India’s financial capital to the busiest airport in the United States for international flights

Three of the five longest routes from India to the United States are from Mumbai. While New Delhi is the capital of India, Mumbai is considered the financial capital—perhaps comparable to how Washington D.C. and New York City are seen in the US. Mumbai is also the second-largest metropolitan city in India.

As with many cities that changed names, Mumbai International Airport still uses the old ” BOM ” code from Bombay. It is still common to see Mumbai called Bombay in India, and some residents find the old name somewhat nostalgic. The Mumbai to JFK route is served by Air India with a Boeing 777. The flight time is 17 hours and 25 minutes.

Related

Air India Lounges In Delhi And New York JFK To Get A Makeover

The airline aims to improve the lounge experience of its passengers in India and abroad.

3

Mumbai to Newark Airport (NJ)

Mumbai boasts two of the longest flights to the New York metro area

Newark Liberty Airport is the other large international airport in the New York tri-state area, located in New Jersey. The flight from Mumbai to Newark covers 7,806 miles and takes 14 hours and 35 minutes. Air India operates the route with a Boeing 777 (Air India has a fleet of Boeing 777-200LRs and 777-300ERs).

Photo: Photo: Paparacy | Shutterstock

The Boeing 777-200LR (long-range) is a rare breed in the skies and was destined for ultra-long hauls. It remains one of the longest-range passenger airliners operating today (although the Airbus A350 XWB Ultra Long Range has a longer range).

2

Mumbai to San Francisco

Mumbai to SFO is the second-longest flight between India and the USA and one of the top twenty longest in the world

At 8,401 miles, Air India’s 16-hour and five-minute-nonstop flight from Mumbai to San Francisco is the second longest connecting the two countries. It is also the 16th longest nonstop flight in the world, a little shorter than the flight from Atlanta (Georgia) to Johannesburg (South Africa) and a little longer than the flights from Los Angeles to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE), and Doha (Qatar).

Photo: sockagphoto | Shutterstock

Mumbai Airport (officially the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport) is the second-busiest airport in India by total and international passenger traffic (after Delhi) and one of the top ten busiest airports in Asia. Air India will likely continue to grow its connections with North America (it already has over 500 return flights to the US and Canada).

Related

Summer Demand: Air India Adds More Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Flights To 3 European Cities

Air India’s Amsterdam, Milan, and Copenhagen services are getting a boost this summer.

1

Bangalore to San Francisco

Bangalore to San Francisco offers a Silicon Valley to Silicon Valley express

San Francisco (or, more accurately, the Bay Area) is famous for being home to Silicon Valley – home to a large number of cutting-edge startup tech companies. India boasts its own “Silicon Valley” or tech center in Bangalore. The southern Indian city of Bangalore is considered to be the tech capital of India and one of the tech capitals of the world (while Mumbai is India’s financial capital).

Photo: Air India

Once again, nonstop flights are operated by Air India with Boeing 777s. The flight time is 17 hours and 55 minutes, placing it among the longest nonstop flights in the world. Only Singapore Airlines’ flight from JFK (NYC) to Singapore has a longer scheduled duration (18 hours and 50 minutes). Other flights like Qatar’s Auckland to Doha cover a longer distance but have a shorter scheduled flight time.

Related

Air India Grows Toronto To Delhi Boeing 777 Flights To Record 10 Weekly

Passenger traffic has grown considerably since 2019.