Air India has suspended it's direct flights from New Delhi to Chicago in US and reduced it's weekly trips to San Francisco, New York, Toronto. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the country to be more prudent on fuel consumption and curtail international travel.
They have announced a temporary rationalisation of services across several international routes between June and August 2026, citing continued airspace restrictions and record-high jet fuel prices that are weighing heavily on the commercial viability of long-haul operations.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, May 13, the Tata Group-owned airline said the schedule adjustments were made in response to “a combination of factors”, including operational challenges arising from restricted air corridors over certain regions and high jet fuel prices for international operations.
On May 6, NDTV Profit reported Air India's international flights have been reduced by 20% YoY in May. Despite the temporary cuts, the airline said it will continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month across key global markets.
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Air India Maintains Core International Presence
The carrier said it will continue to operate:
- 33 weekly flights to North America
- 47 weekly flights to Europe
- 57 weekly flights to the United Kingdom
- 8 weekly flights to Australia
- 158 weekly flights to the Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC regions
- 7 weekly flights to Mauritius in Africa
The airline added that affected passengers will be offered alternative travel arrangements where feasible, including re-accommodation on other Air India flights, complimentary date changes, or full refunds.
Air India said customers can seek assistance through its 24x7 contact centre and digital customer support channels.
North America Network Sees Mixed Changes
Among the most significant revisions, Air India will temporarily suspend its Delhi-Chicago service during the period.
The Delhi-San Francisco route will be reduced from 10 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights through August, while Delhi-Toronto operations will be cut from 10 weekly services to 5 weekly services through July before returning to daily operations in August.
In contrast, the Mumbai-Newark route will see a sharp increase from 3 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights.
The Delhi-New York (JFK) route will continue operating daily. However, Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York (JFK) services will be temporarily suspended.
Europe Flights Reduced Across Multiple Cities
Air India is also trimming capacity across Europe as cost pressures and operational limitations persist.
The Delhi-Paris route will be reduced from 14 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights, while frequencies to Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, Zurich and Rome will also be scaled back.
The revised schedule includes:
- Delhi-Copenhagen: 4x weekly to 3x weekly
- Delhi-Milan: 5x weekly to 4x weekly
- Delhi-Vienna: 4x weekly to 3x weekly
- Delhi-Zurich: 4x weekly to 3x weekly
- Delhi-Rome: 4x weekly to 3x weekly
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Australia, China And Southeast Asia Routes Hit
Services to Australia will also be affected, with both Delhi-Melbourne and Delhi-Sydney flights reduced from daily operations to four weekly services.
In Asia, the Delhi-Shanghai route has been temporarily suspended through August amid continuing operational challenges.
Singapore services will witness notable cuts, with Delhi-Singapore flights reduced from 24 weekly services to 14 weekly services, while Mumbai-Singapore operations will be halved from 14 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights. Chennai-Singapore services have also been suspended through August.
Further reductions include:
- Delhi-Bangkok: 28x weekly to 21x weekly from July
- Mumbai-Bangkok: 13x weekly to 7x weekly from July
- Delhi-Kuala Lumpur: 10x weekly to 5x weekly
- Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City: 7x weekly to 4x weekly in July and August
- Delhi-Hanoi: 5x weekly to 4x weekly in July and August
SAARC And Indian Ocean Routes Also Rationalised
Air India has also reduced operations to neighbouring South Asian destinations.
The Delhi-Kathmandu route will be scaled back from 42 weekly services to 28 weekly flights in June and further reduced to 21 weekly flights during July and August.
Other changes include:
- Delhi-Dhaka: 7x weekly to 4x weekly
- Mumbai-Dhaka: temporarily suspended through August
- Mumbai-Colombo: 7x weekly to 4x weekly
- Delhi-Colombo: 14x weekly to 12x weekly
- Delhi-Male: temporarily suspended through August
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