Two misses, third hit for AI flight?

Two misses, third hit for AI flight?
By Hemanth C S,DH News Service,Bangalore:
Will flight IC 957 break the jinx and be third-time lucky? The flight bound for Singapore, which was to be the first commercial flight to officially take off from the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on the two missed inaugural dates, is finally destined to take off on May 23.

Air India’s scheduled daily direct flight IC 957 to Singapore will take off at 0001 hrs of May 23, the day the new airport becomes operational, making it the first flight to take off from the much-delayed greenfield airport in Devanahalli.
Flight IC 957 was scheduled to be the first flight to depart from the BIA on April 1 and then on May 11, the two days earmarked as inaugural dates before it was grounded following constraints at airport site and state elections.
“IC 957 to Singapore, which will take off at 0001 hrs of May 23, is a popular flight which provides convenient connection at Singapore to passengers bound for cities in Japan, Australia and the US,” Air India officials told Deccan Herald. The BIA, which was given the green signal by the Ministry of Civil Aviation earlier this week to start commercial operations from May 23, is said to have directed all commercial airlines on the inauguration of the airport on the same day and on the commencement of commercial operations as the existing HAL airport set to close down on May 23 itself.
Air India officials confirmed to have received a communication on the airport’s inaugural date and its operational readiness for commercial flight movement.
Similarly, Air Deccan Officials said flight operations from the new airport will commence following operational approval by BIA. On the other hand, all flight arrivals on May 23 after 8 pm is expected to land at the BIA.