11 August,2025 04:12 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Air India said it will continue to operate non-stop flights between India and six destinations in North America. File Pic
Air India on Monday announced that it will stop its direct flights between Delhi and Washington DC from September 1, 2025. The decision is due to a mix of reasons, mainly a shortage of available aircraft and other ongoing issues, reported the IANS.
In an official statement, the airline said that the suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India's fleet, as the airline commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month.
"This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least the end of 2026. That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline's long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity," the airline said, according to the IANS.
Customers with Air India bookings to or from Washington DC beyond September 1, 2025, will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including rebooking on other flights or full refunds, as per their individual preferences, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Air India customers will continue to have the options of one-stop flights to Washington DC via New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco - with the airline's interline partners, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, "allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination".
Air India said it will continue to operate non-stop flights between India and six destinations in North America, including Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.
The airline has been under pressure since a deadly Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad on 12th June. It said the suspension aims to "keep the rest of the flight schedule reliable and running smoothly".
Air India recently began a large upgrade project to improve customer comfort by updating 26 of its Boeing 787-8 planes. Because of this, several planes will be out of service at the same time until at least the end of 2026.
Earlier in the day, a technical snag in an Air India flight arriving from Delhi led to a tense hour-long delay at Raipur airport, leaving around 160 passengers, including a sitting MLA, stranded inside the aircraft with no immediate explanation, the IANS reported.
(with IANS inputs)
