And now the question will forever be asked: "Who was the first passenger of the first Air India flight to Newark Liberty International Airport?" Was it the passenger who stepped out the plane first, or the one who first wheeled out of the immigration, customs and luggage areas into the arrival lounge?

If the former, it's Meera Gandhi, social entrepreneur and upper East Side mom of three, who exited the plane first and was greeted with an aarti by Air India officials. If the latter, the honors go to Ram Bhagwat, managing director and CEO of the Mumbai-based software company Orbitec, who wheeled his luggage trolley into the lounge to be pounced upon by media persons.

Nobody expected the slightly raucous welcome they received upon their arrival as passengers on the inaugural flight of the new Air India service to New Jersey.

White and red balloons strung out, a large AI banner, assorted snacks and a live five-member band belting out swing and lounge. As a mark of appreciation, the officials garlanded them and gifted them a bag that contained a box of sweets and an auto-scanning FM radio with a lock.

As part of an ambitious expansion, Air India started its New Jersey service with a Boeing 747-400. It can seat 436 people. Beginning with three flights a week from Newark to Mumbai via Paris, AI's managing director for north America Seema Andhare said they would look to increase the service and then branch into new territory.

At least seven aircraft – one of them on lease from Korean Airways – have been pooled together for the New Jersey service.

The NJ service seems to have caught the fancy of New Jerseyans already, with flights to India reportedly booked until mid-January. This despite the fact that Commander Kherkar, who co-piloted the first flight, conceded that the Paris route to Newark took about 30 minutes more flying time than the current London route. Fortunately, the Newark service is unlikely to eat into its JFK cousin's share of the pie.

"This is a totally incremental business," said Andhare. Most of the new business will come from people who flew other carriers out of Newark, given the option of going to JFK for Air India. And post-9/11 and the recent attempted attack on an aircraft in Kenya, Andhare insisted Air India complied with every security detail in the book.