Edward has raised the campaign for Air India, owned by the Indian Government, to reinstate the direct flights between Birmingham and Amritsar in India with the Indian High Commissioner in London.
The flights (previously the A1114) used to be direct, but since last year have been routed through Delhi instead, with passengers for Amritsar having a 2-3 hour wait to continue their journey, or having to change planes in Delhi. There are a large number of people in the Midlands from the Indian diaspora, including a large and important Sikh population, many of whom travel regularly to the Punjab and Amritsar for business or to see family. While flights to Delhi are clearly important, so too were the direct flights to Amritsar and Edward is campaigning for these to be reinstated, alongside the flights to Delhi.
Edward said: "A large number of people from the Midlands, and from Leicestershire and my Charnwood constituency, regularly travel to India to see family and friends, or on business. Flights to Delhi are important, but so too are direct flights from Birmingham to Amritsar which avoid changing planes in Delhi or having to travel to London first, particularly to the Skih community. I will continue pressing Air India, through the High Commissioner, to reinstate these direct flights, which I am confident would be popular and well-used."