New Delhi, Sept. 28 -- Direct, non-stop air connectivity between India and Mongolia began on Monday with the launch of a regular service connecting New Delhi and Ulaanbaatar, significantly reducing travel time between the two capitals to around five hours.

The inaugural flight from Ulaanbaatar arrived at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at 7:20 am on Monday, while the first return flight departed New Delhi at 4:37 pm.

According to a release, the service, operated by Mongolia's Hunnu Air, will run every Monday, providing passengers with a direct alternative to journeys that previously required transit through hubs such as Beijing or Incheon.

Such connecting journeys could take about 13 to 18 hours.

The new route is exp...