Oh, Air India, how I adored thee. In the 1990s, the Indian national carrier was a favourite. I flew on its big, comfortable jumbo jets many times. Either I was flying to and from India, which was always a thrill, or I was taking advantage of the “fifth freedom” routes from London Heathrow to New York JFK and Toronto.
Yes, for many years Air India was the carrier of choice across the Atlantic: it had the right to pick up passengers in London and take them, economically, to the main gateways for the US and Canada respectively. The experience was always good value and exotic: for seven hours, you were transported to South Asia, with delicious food, friendly cabin crew and interesting fellow travellers.
