If you are planning to fly internationally with Air India this summer, especially to destinations such as San Francisco, Toronto, Paris, Singapore or Sydney, your travel plans may need a second look. Air India on Wednesday announced a temporary rationalisation of several international routes through August 2026, citing continued airspace restrictions and record-high jet fuel prices that have impacted the commercial viability of some overseas operations.
The airline said the changes are aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute disruptions for passengers, while maintaining a large international footprint of more than 1,200 international flights every month across five continents.
The revised schedule will impact routes across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, with several services seeing frequency cuts and a few temporary suspensions. The airline says the changes are aimed at improving schedule stability and reducing last-minute cancellations — something many international travellers have struggled with over the past year. But for passengers, the immediate impact could mean fewer flight options, higher fares on certain routes and longer wait times for alternative bookings during the peak summer travel season.
Among the biggest changes in North America, Air India will temporarily suspend its Delhi-Chicago route, while reducing Delhi-San Francisco flights from 10 per week to seven through August. Delhi-Toronto services will be reduced from 10 weekly flights to five through July before returning to daily operations in August. Delhi-Vancouver flights will also fall from seven weekly services to five.
At the same time, the airline is increasing Mumbai-Newark services from three weekly flights to daily operations. However, Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York (JFK) services will be temporarily suspended, while Delhi-New York (JFK) will continue operating daily.
In Europe, Air India is scaling back operations on multiple routes, including Delhi-Paris, which will reduce from 14 weekly flights to seven. Services to Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, Zurich and Rome will also see lower frequencies through the period.
Across Asia and neighbouring markets, Air India will temporarily suspend Delhi-Shanghai, Chennai-Singapore, Mumbai-Dhaka and Delhi-Malé services through August. Frequencies on high-demand routes such as Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu and Colombo are also being reduced.
The airline said persistent airspace restrictions over certain regions continue to increase flight times and operational complexity, while elevated global fuel prices have sharply raised international operating costs. Aviation industry experts say rerouting flights around conflict-hit or restricted airspaces often leads to longer flying hours, higher crew costs and increased fuel burn, putting pressure on airline profitability.
Despite the cuts, Air India said it will continue operating 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 across Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC destinations, and seven weekly flights to Mauritius.
The Tata Group-owned carrier said affected passengers will be offered alternative Air India flights where feasible, free date changes or full refunds. Customers can also seek assistance through the airline’s contact centre and digital support channels.
“Air India will proactively assist customers with bookings affected by the cancellations through this period with re-accommodation on alternative feasible Air India flights, free date change or full refunds, as applicable. The airline remains available to support guests through its 24×7 contact centre and digital channels,” the airline said in a statement.
The temporary network adjustments are summarised below by region:
North America
Delhi-Chicago: temporarily suspended
Delhi-San Francisco: reduced from 10x weekly to 7x weekly through August
Delhi-Toronto: reduced from 10x weekly to 5x weekly through July, increasing to daily operation from August
Delhi-Vancouver: reduced from 7x weekly to 5x weekly
Mumbai-Newark service increases from 3x weekly to 7x weekly and Delhi-New York (JFK) remains a 7x weekly service while Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York (JFK) services will be temporarily suspended
Europe
Delhi-Paris: reduced from 14x weekly to 7x weekly
Delhi-Copenhagen: reduced from 4x weekly to 3x weekly
Delhi-Milan: reduced from 5x weekly to 4x weekly
Delhi-Vienna: reduced from 4x weekly to 3x weekly
Delhi-Zurich: reduced from 4x weekly to 3x weekly
Delhi-Rome: reduced from 4x weekly to 3x weekly
Australia
Delhi-Melbourne: reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly
Delhi-Sydney: reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly
Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC
Delhi-Shanghai: temporarily suspended through August
Delhi-Singapore: reduced from 24x weekly to 14x weekly
Mumbai-Singapore: reduced from 14x weekly to 7x weekly
Chennai-Singapore: temporarily suspended through August
Delhi-Bangkok: reduced from 28x weekly to 21x weekly from July
Mumbai-Bangkok: reduced from 13x weekly to 7x weekly from July
Delhi-Kuala Lumpur: reduced from 10x weekly to 5x weekly
Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City: reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly in July and August
Delhi-Hanoi: reduced from 5x weekly to 4x weekly in July and August
Delhi-Kathmandu: reduced from 42x weekly to 28x weekly in June, and further to 21x weekly in July and August
Delhi-Dhaka: reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly
Mumbai-Dhaka: temporarily suspended through August
Mumbai-Colombo: reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly
Delhi-Colombo: reduced from 14x weekly to 12x weekly
Delhi-Malé: temporarily suspended through August
For passengers planning international trips over the next few months, the safest approach may be to book flexible tickets, avoid very tight transit connections and keep buffer days wherever possible — especially on routes currently facing reduced frequencies.