Air India will explore adding more international destinations from Calcutta once new aircraft, for which orders have already been placed, join its fleet, said Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer and managing director of the Tata Sons-owned airline.

The airline will assess demand from different cities and then allocate aircraft accordingly, Wilson said.

Since 2023, Air India has placed orders for 600 new aircraft, of which 100 have been delivered, airline officials said. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to join the fleet by 2032, they added.

Among the new additions is the Boeing 787-9, which was unveiled at the Wings India 2026 aviation summit in Hyderabad this week. The aircraft, featuring cabin interiors customised for Air India, is scheduled to begin commercial operations between Mumbai and Frankfurt from February 1.

“As new aircraft start coming in, we will consolidate our bases. First, we are looking at Delhi and Mumbai, and then Bengaluru,” Wilson said. “We will also be studying demand and feeding the hungry mouths in other cities.”

On increasing flights from the city, he said: “When more aircraft start joining the fleet, we will definitely be adding flights out of Calcutta.”

Asked about the possibility of operating a direct flight between Calcutta and London — a long-standing demand from passengers — Wilson said: “The London flight is on our radar.”

Air India earlier operated a popular non-stop Calcutta-London service, which was later withdrawn. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline ran Vande Bharat flights between the two cities, but these were discontinued as the pandemic eased.

At present, Air India does not operate any international flights from Calcutta, airport sources said. The airline runs 16 daily domestic services — 10 to Delhi and six to Mumbai — from the city. Air India Express, the group’s low-cost carrier, operates around 15 domestic flights from Calcutta to various destinations.

Officials at the Calcutta airport said they plan to approach Air India to resume international operations from the city, including a service to London.

“We have received data from the Travel Agents Federation of India (Tafi) showing that a number of passengers from Calcutta travel to Europe and the US via other Indian cities,” a senior official of the Calcutta airport said.

“We will be writing to Air India with these figures, requesting the introduction of international flights,” the official added.

Anil Punjabi, eastern region chairman of Tafi, said Calcutta has potential for long-haul international services.

“Calcutta has consistently demonstrated strong outbound passenger demand, both in business and economy class. Around 25% of total international departures from the city are bound for the UK, Europe and the US,” Punjabi said.

“Given Calcutta’s strategic importance, strong corporate presence and growing global connectivity needs, the introduction of direct international flights would be commercially viable and mutually beneficial for airlines, passengers and the airport ecosystem,” he added.