Air India has temporarily reduced flights on several domestic and international routes between June and August 2026.
The airline says the decision has been taken due to rising fuel costs and operational challenges. Services are expected to return to normal once the situation improves.
The company also clarified that rumors about all Air India flights being cancelled are completely false.
Major Changes on Domestic Routes
Air India has reduced the number of weekly flights on many popular domestic routes. Here are some of the major changes:
Delhi–Mumbai flights reduced from 176 to 165 per week
Mumbai–Kolkata flights cut from 42 to 30 weekly
Delhi–Goa flights sharply reduced
Delhi–Bengaluru flights reduced from 116 to 113 weekly
Delhi–Kolkata flights reduced from 70 to 63 weekly
Mumbai–Bengaluru flights reduced from 91 to 84 weekly
Mumbai–Hyderabad flights reduced from 63 to 59 weekly
Delhi–Indore flights reduced from 21 to 14 weekly
Bengaluru–Chandigarh flights reduced from 14 to 7 weekly
Delhi–Kathmandu flights reduced from 42 to 28 in June and further down to 21 in July and August
International Flights Also Affected
Last month, Air India had already announced major cuts on international routes. Some services have been reduced while others have been completely suspended.
Important changes include:
Delhi–Shanghai flights fully suspended
Delhi–Singapore flights reduced from 24 to 14 weekly
Mumbai–Singapore flights reduced from 14 to 7 weekly
Delhi–Bangkok flights cut from 28 to 21 weekly
Delhi–Kuala Lumpur flights reduced from 10 to 5 weekly
Delhi–Paris flights reduced from two daily flights to one
Delhi–Chicago route completely discontinued
Apart from this, long-distance flights to cities like London, Frankfurt, and New York have also been reduced by 15% to 30%.
Despite these changes, Air India says it will still operate more than 1,200 international flights every month and continue connecting passengers across five continents.
Why Is Air India Reducing Flights?
Although the airline has blamed rising fuel prices, there are other major reasons behind the cuts.
Due to tensions in the Middle East, airlines are avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Israel. This has forced flights to take longer routes, increasing travel time and fuel consumption.
At the same time, Pakistan’s airspace remains closed for Indian airlines. Because of this, flights travelling to Europe and the United States are becoming more expensive to operate.
These issues together have increased overall operational costs for airlines.
What Passengers Should Do
Air India says passengers affected by flight changes will get several options. Travelers can:
Shift to another available flight
Reschedule tickets without extra charges
Get a full refund
The airline has advised passengers to keep checking their booking status regularly through the Air India app or official website, as more schedule changes may happen in the coming weeks.
