- Air India cut international flight capacity by 22% year-on-year in April 2024
- May capacity dropped 20% year-on-year with further 7% cuts planned for June
- North American routes to US and Canada face the steepest reductions in flights
Air India is executing a sweeping reduction in its international flight capacity. Driven by escalating global crude prices and widening Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) cracks, the carrier has initiated severe frequency cuts across its global network, with North American and European routes bearing the brunt of the pullback.
According to exclusive data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG), a leading aviation industry data provider, Air India's international capacity plummeted by 22% year-on-year in April. The airline operated just 1,987 flights, compared to 2,549 in the same period last year. The downward trajectory is persisting through the current quarter. May capacity is down approximately 20% year-on-year (2,072 flights versus 2,588), and the airline is planning an additional 7% capacity reduction for June.
Air India has yet to respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the operational scale-back.
ALSO READ: Air India Board Meeting On May 7; Cost-Saving Steps, CEO Selection Likely On Agenda
North American Routes Hit Hardest
The most aggressive capacity rationalization is occurring on ultra-long-haul routes to the United States and Canada. Operations connecting Delhi and Mumbai to the US East Coast, specifically Newark and New York, have been heavily scaled down. Routes that previously maintained double-digit weekly frequencies are now operating on significantly reduced schedules.
- San Francisco: Flights from Delhi have been abruptly halved, dropping from 62 to just 31 scheduled flights in May.
- Vancouver: Services from Delhi have contracted from 31 flights in January to 23 in May.
Europe Sees Strategic Reductions
While the cuts in Europe are slightly more moderate, major continental hubs are still experiencing targeted pullbacks as the airline optimizes its fuel economics.
- Frequencies to Paris, Milan, and Zurich are down between 15% and 20% for the month of May.
- Flights to Copenhagen, Vienna, and Rome have seen a reduction of approximately 10%.
- London remains the sole outlier, with operations at both Heathrow and Gatwick holding stable amidst the broader network restructuring.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, just last week, told employees in an internal email that Air India will reduce its international flights till July, as the airspace curbs and surge in jet fuel prices have made many routes unprofitable. The situation leaves the airline with no choice "but to further trim schedules for June and July", he added.
"We very much regret the disruption to our customers' plans and our crew's rosters, and hope that the Middle East situation settles - and the Strait of Hormuz opens - soon so that we can get back to a more normal state," Wilson said.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
