Major Air India route cuts: Delhi-Chicago suspended, services to US, Europe slashed

13 May,2026 07:37 PM IST |  Gurugram  |  mid-day online correspondent

Air India has announced temporary rationalisation of its international routes from June to August 2026 due to high jet fuel prices and airspace restrictions. Delhi-Chicago suspended, major cuts on US, Europe, Australia and Asia routes. Affected passengers offered rebooking or full refunds

The airline added that it is working closely with regulators, airport authorities and industry partners to restore full capacity at the earliest. Representational pic


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Air India on Wednesday announced a temporary rationalisation of its international flight schedule from June to August 2026 due to continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record-high jet fuel prices that have affected the commercial viability of several operations.

The national carrier said the adjustments are aimed at ensuring network stability and minimising last-minute disruptions for passengers. Despite the cuts, Air India will continue to operate more than 1,200 international flights every month, maintaining a robust global presence across five continents. This includes 33 weekly flights to North America, 47 to Europe, 57 to the United Kingdom, eight to Australia, 158 to the Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC regions, and seven to Mauritius in Africa.

Key changes announced:

North America

Delhi-Chicago route temporarily suspended

Delhi-San Francisco reduced from 10 to 7 weekly flights

Delhi-Toronto reduced from 10 to 5 weekly (July), returning to daily in August

Delhi-Vancouver reduced from 7 to 5 weekly

Mumbai-Newark increased from 3 to 7 weekly

Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York (JFK) temporarily suspended (Delhi-New York JFK continues daily)

Europe

Delhi-Paris reduced from 14 to 7 weekly

Reductions on Delhi-Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, Zurich and Rome routes

Australia

Delhi-Melbourne and Delhi-Sydney both reduced from 7 to 4 weekly

Far East, Southeast Asia & SAARC

Delhi-Shanghai and Chennai-Singapore temporarily suspended

Delhi-Singapore reduced from 24 to 14 weekly; Mumbai-Singapore from 14 to 7 weekly

Delhi-Bangkok reduced from 28 to 21 weekly (from July); Mumbai-Bangkok from 13 to 7 weekly

Delhi-Kuala Lumpur cut from 10 to 5 weekly

Reductions on Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo and Malé routes

Air India stated it will proactively support affected passengers by offering re-accommodation on alternative flights, free date changes, or full refunds. Customers can reach out to the airline's 24x7 contact centre or use digital channels for assistance.

The airline added that it is working closely with regulators, airport authorities and industry partners to restore full capacity at the earliest. However, it may make further adjustments if the challenging operating environment persists.

This rationalisation comes as Air India continues its fleet expansion and network modernisation under the Tata Group ownership.

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