Hyderabad, March 22 -- The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad, is set to commence flights to 10 new international destinations shortly.

Currently, the airport operates direct flights to 22 international destinations. The expansion will take place in phases with the first one involving flights from Hyderabad to Hong Kong, Hanoi, Addis Ababa, and Amsterdam in the next six months.

Discussions are also underway to offer services to Paris, Australia, Kathmandu, Krabi, Jakarta, and Denpasar within a year.

These direct flights are going to benefit Indian students flying to France and Australia, who now have a 14-hour layover in Singapore. Direct routes are likely to reduce the travel time by half to about seven to eight hour...