Air India on Wednesday announced a temporary reduction in several international flight services between June and August 2026, citing ongoing airspace restrictions in certain regions and record-high jet fuel prices affecting global operations.
In an official statement, the Tata Group-owned airline said the move is aimed at improving schedule stability and minimising last-minute inconvenience for passengers. Despite the temporary reductions, the airline said it will continue operating over 1,200 international flights every month across five continents.
Air India stated that during the affected period, it will operate 33 weekly flights to North America, 47 weekly flights to Europe, 57 weekly flights to the UK, eight weekly flights to Australia, 158 weekly flights to the Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC countries, along with seven weekly flights to Mauritius.
Under the revised network plan, some routes will see reduced frequencies while a few services will remain temporarily suspended.
North America Routes Affected
The airline has temporarily suspended its Delhi–Chicago service. Delhi–San Francisco flights will be reduced from 10 weekly services to seven till August, while Delhi–Toronto operations will reduce from 10 weekly flights to five through July before returning to daily services in August.
Delhi–Vancouver flights will reduce from seven weekly services to five. However, Mumbai–Newark flights will increase from three weekly services to daily operations.
At the same time, Delhi–Newark and Mumbai–New York (JFK) services will remain temporarily suspended, while Delhi–New York (JFK) flights will continue operating daily.
Europe Flights Reduced
Air India has reduced Delhi–Paris services from 14 weekly flights to seven. Flights to Copenhagen, Vienna, Zurich and Rome will be cut from four weekly services to three each, while Delhi–Milan flights will reduce from five weekly services to four.
Australia Services Cut Back
Delhi flights to Melbourne and Sydney will operate four times a week instead of daily through August.
Southeast Asia, SAARC Routes Impacted
Delhi–Shanghai flights have been suspended till August. Delhi–Singapore services will reduce from 24 weekly flights to 14, while Mumbai–Singapore operations will reduce from 14 weekly services to seven. Chennai–Singapore flights will also remain suspended during the period.
Delhi–Bangkok services will reduce from 28 weekly flights to 21 from July, while Mumbai–Bangkok flights will reduce from 13 weekly services to seven.
Other routes affected include Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo and Malé. Mumbai–Dhaka and Delhi–Malé services will remain suspended through August.
Air India said affected passengers will be offered alternative flights where feasible, complimentary date changes, or full refunds depending on eligibility. The airline added that its 24×7 customer support and digital platforms remain available for assistance.
The carrier further stated that it is working closely with regulators, airport authorities and industry partners to restore normal capacity as conditions improve, though additional changes may be introduced if the challenging operating environment continues.