Slots at LHR

I see AI are adding another frequency to Delhi next year Wonder where the slot came from, it would have been a good one for another transatlantic service too?? How come VS couldnt restart a second flight to India??

No idea where the slot pair came from - or more to the point, how AI afforded to buy it. This is the airline that has a grounded Dreamliner that they are cannibalising for parts.

Back to VS - I can only assume the yields on this route are not great, as I have a friend who managed to pick up 5 x G fares on this route last year. That said, it must make enough money to be viable - if it wasn't, the influence from Atlanta would see the route dropped.

Maybe it is a good cargo route? On some routes, the cargo makes more money than passengers.

The Air India slots came form SAS I believe - both are Star Alliance carriers so it might have been arranged within that Alliance

VS loads to Delhi are generally good in Upper Class with many India or US originating pax using the route- these are often not booked very much in advance - It's not the Indian way to do so. PE and Economy loads are variable and seasonal.

In the days of the A346 and more recently A333 cargo was important - not sure how introduction of 788 has affected the ability to carry this.