bdmetronews Desk॥ Mumbai becomes the second subcontinent Indian destination to which United has suspended service in the past three months
For the second time in three months, United Airlines has been forced to suspend flights to a subcontinent Indian destination.
Late Thursday, United said it would immediately suspend nonstop flights between its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Mumbai, India (BOM) at least through Sunday.
A spokesman for the Chicago-based airline said Friday it was unclear whether the suspension of service might extend beyond Sunday.
“We will reassess the situation at that time,” he said.
The EWR-BOM suspension comes less than three months after United suspended nonstop service between Newark Liberty Airport and Delhi, India. That service remains suspended.
On Friday United attributed the EWR-BOM suspension to current events in the Middle East and the continued closure of Pakistani airspace.
The closure of airspace over Iran, which earlier this week shot down a U.S. military drone, and continued closure of Pakistani airspace because of tense relations between Pakistan and India, would have lengthened flight paths of United planes on the affected routes — making it unfeasible for United to fly them nonstop.
United said it would proactively seek to rebook affected passengers holding reservations to or from Mumbai on alternative Star Alliance partner carriers. Lufthansa Airlines, one Star Alliance partner, does operate into and out of India, but using Lufthansa would require a connection at a Lufthansa hub in Germany.
