Aviation: Toronto getting ready to accord warm welcome to maiden flight from Amritsar to Toronto

Toronto, a major hub of the migrant Punjabi community, is all set to accord a warm welcome to its maiden flight from Amritsar  on Thursday. The flight, operated by Neos, a private airline of Italy, will be the first ever direct flight from holy city to Toronto with a little less than four hour layover in Milan.

To start with, it would be a once a week flight connecting Amritsar with North America. The promoters of Neos say that the flight would stay extended to JFK Airport in New York. Similarly, there would be a return flight from Toronto to Amritsar via Milan.

“The flight would be greeted by not only leading personalities of the Punjabi Diaspora in Canada but also by top civil aviation experts, officials of both Canada and Ontario governments, media and representatives of the Indo-Canadian community.

“Response is so overwhelming that initial flights  are completely sold out. Going by response we may double the frequency by June,” says M Bharat Ghai, one of the main brains. behind this long demanded air link. Onkar Travels, one of the oldest travel houses in Canada, has been at the back of a complete plan that meets the long standing demand of the Fly Amritsar Initiative.

While both Air Canada and Air India  had reasons for not acceding to the long standing demanding of the Punjabi Diaspora, it was Onkar Singh and Bhaat Ghai who in  collaboration with Neos Airline  succeeded in transforming the dream into reality as the first flight would take off  from Sri Guru Ram Das Amritsar International airport in wee hours of April 6.

Luca Campanati of Neos Airlines was in Chandigarh last week for the formal launch of the service where he interacted with representatives of travel and trade of north India besides the media personnel.

Moderately priced the airline plans to introduce business and first class later as initially the operating aircraft will have economy and premium economy classes.

Prabhjot Singh