Kabul to Agatti Island Air India Flights

  About Agatti Island

One of Lakshadweep's finest islands and well-connected places is Agatti. The 6km long Agatti island is not just home to a wide range of marine life but is also the only place in the archipelago to sustain an airstrip. The fact that the island has an airstripe makes the flight connectivity to Agatti Island extremely convenient. With regular flights from Kochi and Bengaluru and ships services, Agatti easily becomes a place that can be visited. Folks who wish to escape from the noise of the city or multitude of people on beaches should pick this island as their destination.

With pristine white-sand beaches, clear blue waters and opportunity for a bunch of water sports activities, Agatti island easily manages to draw a certain kind of crowd. You can find yourself swayed by the quaint vibe and beauty of the island. Not to mention, the population is also quite less, which makes it all the more tempting. Not just underwater but diversity prevails even on the surface with Islam as the main religion for the habitants. While Malayalam and Tamil are the primary languages spoken here, English is also becoming a native tongue for the locals as it is easier to communicate with travellers.

The island might be easy to reach, but there are some restrictions which make travelling a wee bit difficult. Even though tourism is open and the island sees a lot of tourists, there are some essential documents and paperwork that the traveller must carry with them. You will require an Entry Permit from the administration of Lakshadweep to enter the island. The permit is granted to individuals who have already confirmed an accommodation, ahead of their voyage. Interestingly, the island also has only two hotels which means you must be certain of making your hotel bookings for Agatti Island before time to secure a worry-free trip. The tropical island is undoubtedly beautiful and definitely worth visiting.

You should know that while the tropical island has some of the best beaches, it has a very humble background. The people, the lifestyle, the hotels and basically the entire experience here would be nothing like what the Maldives has to offer. However, the simplicity of Agatti Islands will draw you to the island and especially the shores.

Best time to visit

Monsoon is a bane to islands, and Agatti is no different from the phenomenon. Hence, it is usually advised not to venture out to take up a trip to the quaint island between May to September. Since monsoon begins in the second half of May at the Arabian Sea, travelling becomes a big risk. In fact, the cruises and ship services are also suspended, owing to the challenges involved during this season.

The months between October to the first half of May are practically perfect, though. The weather is delightful and relaxed, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 36. It is ideal, especially for a tropical setting. The bearable heat further makes it an attractive travel option for individuals who wish to escape from the city's bustling. These months are also perfect for sailing and to pick up a cruise as a travel option. With lesser disturbance at sea, the risk of seasickness also drops tremendously.

The clearer summer and winter months also make it easy for divers to explore reefs and the wide sea. The added benefit of this is how it will enable you to experience the tropical bliss that Agatti Island has in store. With Agatti Island, picking the right season is imperative as that will decide how your trip will transpire.

Places to see

The options of places to see in Agatti Islands is quite minimum since the place is rather tiny. Interestingly though, you can take up island-hopping and explore more of the islands such as Pitti Island or Bangaram Island as these two are close to Agatti. It'll take you minutes of a ferry ride to reach both the islands mentioned. Here's a fun fact, the Bangaram Island is the only place with a private resort. The accommodation is swanky and beautiful. The best way to spend time in Agatti is to put your energy towards exploring the sea and the marine habitats.

Things to do

Agatti's azure blue waters touching the white sand coasts don't just make for a postcard-worthy setting but also offer a fun underwater adventure. The beauty of the place makes it possible for you to sit by the beaches and relax your soul. The calm waters and soothing sound of waves hitting the shores make for the perfect getaway from the city's noise. Soaking yourselves under the scorching sun is not the only fun activity that you can do on this island. From scuba diving to exploring the reefs, there are a plethora of activities that you can indulge in during your stay.

The place promotes water sports so you will get to sail on the waters as well as ski on it. Take a lovely kayak for yourself and go rowing towards the sea. You can explore Agatti's waters by kayaking. At the same time, if taking up scuba diving is something that you have always wanted to indulge in then that option is also available here. The crystal clear waters will make you spot an abundance of quirky and colourful fish. It is definitely going to be a joyride for all the water babies.

Snorkelling, fishing, water skiing and diving in the delicious seafood platter are some of the other things that will keep you occupied during your Agatti trip. Much of the cuisine has seafood, and if you are an enthusiast, their curries will go down well with your system. If all the water activities sound a little too overwhelming for you, then you can take it easy, throw on your flip flops and plop on a beach chair.

Restaurants and food

The island is a tiny place with a bunch of activities to do but hardly many places to eat. There are literally only two hotels and limited restaurants too. Thanks to the small population and the few travellers who visit Agatti, there aren't many restaurant options to pick from. However, the positive here is that these hotels do offer phenomenal seafood. You will be amazed by how perfectly they emulate the traditional Kerala cuisine and service to the customers. If seafood is something that excited you, then Agatti would undoubtedly be the best place to explore more of the food sphere. From giant fish to octopus, you can experiment with the seafood that they offer.

How to reach Agatti Island (Transportation)

By Air

Agatti Island is the only island in all of Lakshadweep to have an airport. Since the islands are spread out on the Arabian Sea and not all of them, have the capabilities to host an airport Agatti is the only island to make it possible. In fact, the bird's eye view of the airport is simply marvellous and the kind to blow your mind. Do not fall asleep ahead of landing for you should definitely witness the beautiful airport's setting.

There is only one airline that offers services to charter planes to Agatti Aerodromes. You can make your flight bookings to Agatti Island by selecting Air India Regional. Although Agatti Island is not well-connected in terms of air as well as other modes of transport, you can always find flights to the island from Kochi, Chennai and Bangalore. In fact, the flight connectivity to the Agatti Island from the major metropolitan cities, including Mumbai and Delhi, is excellent so you can easily get your travel plans in order.

By Water

Since the Lakshadweep Islands is located in the middle of the Arabian Sea, there are no routes to Agatti by rail or road. The only way for the islands to connect to India is via the air route or the waterway. Luckily, for those who have never travelled by ships and cruises, this could be the best opportunity to give waterways a go. Two ship services can be found in Cochin. The ships named Bharat Seema and Tipu Sultan are the only ones to voyage to Agatti.

While these are government-run ships to Agatti, there are some private cruises too namely Star Cruises and Ocean Cruises. These private ships come with a plethora of luxurious benefits with swanky lounge settings, first-class accommodation, jacuzzi and more. They easily become a choice for many travellers as a journey by water can be quite tedious, especially if you are seasick. The luxury cruises run from Mumbai and Goa.

Aside from the government and private services, there's a travel-centric cruise service too that takes the domestic route to Agatti Island from Cochin and back. These trips basically have five islands listed out and will only go as per the itinerary. Going by the name Lakshadweep Samudram, the cruise goes on an island-hopping voyage from Agatti to Kavaratti. However, this is subjective to the kind of package that you choose and the perks that come with it. The cost of the package is also quite reasonable, so many couples do opt for this over the other ways.

 About Air India

Air India was the first Indian airline that went by the name Tata Airways when it was launched. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata launched it in 1932 in Karachi. The first flight was from Karachi to Mumbai and then to Chennai. The airline became a public limited company after World War II, under the name Air India. In 1948, a Lockheed Constellation L-749A called the Malabar Princess landed in London Heathrow from Bombay, which was the airline's first international flight. Air India got its first Boeing 707-420 and became the first Asian airline to enter the Jet Age. It launched services to New York in 1960. It took delivery of its first Boeing 747-200B in 1971 and named it Emperor Ashoka. It acquired its first Airbus A310-300 in 1986 and Boeing 747-400 in 1993 which was named Konark later. The airline also operated its first non-stop flight between New York and Delhi during this year. In 2007, Air India merged with Indian Airlines under Air India Limited. They acquired their first Boeing 777 that year. Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is Air India's main hub. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai is the secondary hub. Chennai International Airport, Cochin International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad and Trivandrum International Airport are its focus cities domestically.

Air India made Frankfurt Airport its international hub in 2009 for onward connections to the United States of America from India. Still, they had to shut it down because of high operating costs. In 2010, Air India decided to open a new hub for its international flights in Dubai. The airline's financial growth has been a topic of conversation for decades. For years, there were debates around the privatisation of Air India, but the Government of India refused to go ahead with it. When it did decide to hand over responsibility to private companies, no one came forward. Air India launched its low-cost airline, Air India Express, a couple of years back that majorly flew to countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Despite suffering losses in the market and going through a lot of ups and downs, the airline is functioning since it is the national carrier.

Air India has also gone through a lot of modifications with its brand logo and mascot. The Maharajah is the main mascot of the airline and was created by Bobby Kooka, the commercial director of Air India then and Umesh Rao, who was an artist with J Walter Thompson Limited in 1946. The mascot was given a makeover in 2015, and the airline decided to go with a younger version of Maharajah. Since India's colour scheme is red and white, the airline's logo also incorporates the same in its logo. The name of the airline is written in Hindi and English in red. The first logo of the airline was a centaur shooting an arrow in a circle which represented the wheel of Konark. However, the airline decided to give its logo a makeover in 2007, which was a flying swan with the wheel of Konark in it.

Fleet Size of Air India

Air India had started its operations with a de Havilland Puss Moth aircraft back in 1932. It inducted its first Boeing 707-420 later on and named it Gauri Shankar. It became the first Asian airline to add a jet aircraft in its fleet. Since it is the oldest airline in the country, it has both Boeing and Airbus aircraft in its fleet. It inducted its first Boeing 747-400 in 1993 and named it Konark. The airline inducted its first Airbus A320-200 aircraft in 1989 which now covers both domestic and international short hauls. The airline has a total of 70 Airbus aircraft including one A320 Classic, 4 A320ceo, 19 A319 aircraft, 20 A321, 5 A320ceo (Single Configuration), 27 A320neo and 3 A319 (Single Configuration). It has a total of 172 narrow-body aircraft and 49 wide-body aircraft. Air India uses one of the five Boeing 747-400s as VIP flights. Air India grounded its last Airbus A320 classic fleet in 2019, and the last flight flew from Delhi to Mumbai.

Air India had also sold five of its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to Etihad Airways in 2013 to make up for its financial losses. The airline also had plans to introduce long flights to Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco but had to cancel, owing to weak demand and high fuel prices.

Baggage Allowance

Air India has certain baggage allowance rules and regulations that every passenger must follow. As per Air India's baggage allowance rules, you cannot carry cabin luggage that exceeds 8 kg, and your check-in luggage cannot exceed 20 kg. If you are flying internationally and if you are a premium club member, you will be allowed up to 40 kg of baggage. Even if you are ready to pay extra, your hand baggage cannot exceed 10 kg. First Class passengers are allowed a maximum of 40 kg baggage while Business Class passengers can only carry 35 kg. If you are travelling by the Economy Class, your baggage cannot exceed 25 kg. However, if you have an infant travelling with you, an extra 10 kg baggage allowance is offered by the airline. Make sure you inform the airline staff well in advance if your luggage is going to exceed the allowed weight. The airline has also made web check-in quite convenient for its passengers. You can either log in to the website and get it done, or you can get in touch with the call centre. The executives will help you get your web check-in done. It is best to get your web check-in done in advance, so you get to pick the right seat instead of settling for something chosen by the staff at the airport.

In-flight Services

Air India's First Class is royalty and luxury personified. The seats recline up to 180-degree, and the interiors are a sight for sore eyes. In addition to the ultra-comfortable seating, Air India's in-flight services are extremely efficient, and the best part is that the first-class cabin only seats 12 passengers. You can order your favourite cocktails and cuisines that are a treat to your taste buds. You can also do all of your duty-free shopping onboard. The first-class and business class cabins are also equipped with the Thales i3000 in-flight entertainment system. You can access five channels in Hindi and English. You can also browse through Air India's in-flight magazine called Shubh Yatra. First Class and Business Class passengers can also access the Maharaja Lounge. Business-class passengers are treated to plush seats and lip-smacking entrees that are accompanied with wine. You also get an exclusive check-in and lounge facility. Don't fret if you are not travelling by the premium class. Economy class passengers have complimentary refreshments and meals on all of their flights. You will also get complimentary liquor or wine on the international flights. The airline staff makes sure that passengers have a great time during their journey.

Popular Routes and Top Cities for Air India

Air India connects to various domestic and international routes daily. Since it is one of the oldest and the first airlines, it connects to more cities domestically and internationally. It connects to approximately 102 destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and so on. It also flies to international destinations that cover the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Air India has frequent flights running to other destinations and makes sure you have had a great journey as well. Do make sure that you get your web check-in done well in advance.

Why Travel by Air India?

Air India is the national airline and has been in the airline industry since 1932. The airline makes sure that you have had a comfortable journey and seldom leaves any room for complaints. It has maintained its legacy of making sure that every passenger gets a royal treatment. It is also one of the very few airlines in the country that offers first-class flights to its passengers. You can check Air India's flight schedule and your flight status on their website. Even if you cannot access the website for some reason, you will certainly get updates and messages from the airline regarding the same. It also makes web check-in quite easy for its passengers. The staff is well-equipped to solve any grievances or requests put forth by passengers. You can book an Air India flight from the website. You can also get in touch with your travel agent and get them to book the ticket for you. It would be best if you experienced the royal treatment and luxury of being Air India's first-class passenger at least once in your life. The airline has come a long way and continues to give its passengers the best services and experience. The airline also makes sure that the flights run on time.