Air India on Thursday announced the launch of four daily flights between Delhi and Halwara (Ludhiana) starting May 15, marking the airline’s entry into the Halwara airport and making it the first carrier to operate on the route.The services will be operated using A320 family aircraft, with a tight, business-friendly schedule designed to enable same-day domestic travel and smooth international connections via Delhi.Under the schedule, flight AI481 will depart Delhi at 05:55 hrs and arrive in Halwara at 07:05 hrs, followed by the return service AI482 departing Halwara at 07:55 hrs and reaching Delhi at 09:10 hrs.The second rotation will see AI483 leave Delhi at 12:55 hrs, landing in Halwara at 14:10 hrs, while AI484 will depart Halwara at 14:40 hrs and arrive in Delhi at 15:55 hrs. All four flights will operate daily.The timing of the early morning and mid-day departures is aimed at maximising onward connectivity through Delhi, allowing passengers from Ludhiana and nearby industrial clusters to access long-haul flights to Europe and the United Kingdom without extended layovers.With this rollout, travellers from the Punjab region will be able to connect seamlessly on a single ticket to destinations such as London, Birmingham, Paris, Rome and Milan, with baggage through-checked to final destinations, a move expected to ease international travel for both business and leisure passengers.Air India said the addition strengthens its domestic feeder network into Delhi, which remains its primary international gateway, while opening up faster global access for Punjab’s manufacturing and export-driven economy.Air India Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal said the airline is expanding access for passengers in Ludhiana and surrounding areas by offering “simpler and more seamless” international connectivity via Delhi.The move comes amid a broader capacity build-up by Indian carriers, with airlines sharpening focus on tier-2 and industrial cities to feed long-haul international routes.