Air India and Birmingham Airport held a celebratory dinner to mark the airline’s first anniversary of operating from Birmingham Airport.

The airline’s commercial director, Pankaj Srivastava, flew over from India for the celebration at the Holiday Inn to announce that the Dreamliner programme from Birmingham Airport will increase from four times weekly to a daily service in late autumn, when its 18th Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft is inducted into service.

Since starting the service, Air India has handled more than 80,000 passengers on board 210 flights, serving business passengers, tourists and people visiting friends and relatives.

Mr Srivastava said: “This will provide an extra 1,500 seats a week and give passengers greater choice, flexibility and opportunity to travel from the convenience of Birmingham Airport to Amritsar and Delhi.”