National carrier Air India's European operational hub in Frankfurt has helped the airline cope

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with losses and enabled it to expand its connectivity in the US and European routes. The airliner marks its first anniversary at the end of this month.

The Frankfurt hub played a crucial role in helping the airline to cope with last year's turbulence in international air travel by ensuring a consistent and convenient connectivity on the strategically important route between India and US, said Ratan Bali, Air India's Regional Manager for Europe.

In an interview to PTI at the current ITB Berlin 2010, the world's largest tourism fair, where Air India is a co-sponsor of India's national pavilion, Bali said the airline has been offering very convenient departure timings for its US-bound passengers on its daily flights from Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad.

The Frankfurt hub ensured them seamless transfer to Air India flights to continue their journey to Chicago and New York (Newark).

Among the major international carriers operating on the US-India route, Air India provides the most convenient and fastest connectivity and it also offers world class services with its most modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, Bali said.