Summary
- Neos has started flying between Bergamo and Amristar.
- The one-stop service covers around 3,700 nautical miles (6,852km) each way, with an 11h 10m block back to Italy.
- It is the airline’s fourth Amristar route.
The Italian operator, Neos, is always a bit different. While many of its routes carry tourists on vacation, it has several links driven by visiting friends and relatives. The list now includes Bergamo to Amritsar, which uses the Boeing 737 and stops en route in Kazakhstan to refuel. I am sure it’ll be in the next edition of my jam-packed weekly new routes article (the most recent edition is shown below).
While Belavia operates Minsk-Delhi on the 737 MAX 8 and Aeroflot Moscow Sheremetyevo-Delhi on the 737-800, Neos has the only 737 (and indeed narrowbody) Western Europe-India scheduled service.
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Up to 11h 10m
On July 10, Neos inaugurated Bergamo-Amristar via Aktau. Operating weekly, it uses the 186-seat, all-economy 737 MAX 8, of which it has five. The first rotation deployed five-year-old EI-RZC, delivered new to the airline in July 2019.
Photo: Milan Bergamo Airport
Analysis of Flightradar24 information suggests that the brand-new route covers an estimated 3,700 nautical miles (6,852 km) each way in a real-world manner. That’s about a fifth longer than what a non-stop flight would be.
The stop is required because of the overall route length, the specific routing (avoiding Afghanistan, etc.), the high-density cabin layout, and the number of bags that would be transported. For context, more distance is covered than from London Heathrow to Atlanta.
It is scheduled as follows, with all times local. The return journey, which is mainly with a headwind, has a whopping elapsed time of 11h 10m, including the hour tech stop. Flightradar24 shows that the first service’s actual flight time back to Italy (excluding the stopover) took 9h 16m.
- Bergamo-Aktau: N0376, 10:55-18:35
- Aktau-Amristar: N0376, 19:35-00:15+ (9h 50m to reach India)
- Amristar-Aktau: N0377, 01:45-05:50
- Aktau-Bergamo: N0377, 06:50-09:25 (11h 10m back to Italy)
But why?
Of course, the route revolves around Punjabis, including workers and students, in/around Greater Milan and wider Northern Italy. Some people will travel to visit the Golden Temple, the holiest place for Sikhs. I went there years ago and have fond memories.
Photo: Soos Jozsef | Shutterstock
Booking data suggests that approximately 43,000 people flew from Milan and Amristar last year. Milan was the third-largest market European city from Amristar, behind London and Birmingham – both with non-stop Air India flights.
Neos’ fourth Amritsar route
The Italian carrier’s first Amristar-bound service left amid the pandemic in late 2022, with some flights operating via Tbilisi to refuel. Its route network is listed below. Passengers can connect between Amristar and Toronto and New York JFK via Milan Malpensa.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Verona operated until April 2024, with flights via Tbilisi. At the time of writing, no flights are scheduled or bookable. It is unclear if it has been cut, whether replaced by Bergamo or not, or will be returning.
The start of Bergamo flights means that Neos serves Malpensa and Bergamo. You can tell most people in Italy of Indian heritage live in the north.
- Bergamo-Amristar: weekly 737 MAX 8 via Aktau
- Milan Malpensa-Amritsar: twice-weekly non-stop 787-9, weekly 787-9 via Rome Fiumicino
- Rome Fiumicino-Amristar: weekly 787-9 (some flights begin/end in Milan, while others are via Milan)
- Verona-Amristar: see above