Air India plans to restore most of the international flights it temporarily reduced or suspended during June, July and August 2026. The airline is expected to bring back most of the curtailed services from September 1, as it prepares for the Northern Winter 2026-27 schedule.
Air India had temporarily reduced or suspended around 145 international flights per week during the summer. The cuts affected routes across North America, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia.
The airline had introduced the reductions mainly because of record-high jet fuel prices and continued airspace restrictions in certain regions.
Which Air India International Flights Could Return?
Air India has said it plans to restore most of the international services that were temporarily reduced or suspended. However, it has not yet released a complete route-by-route list confirming which flights will return and at what frequency.
The routes affected by the summer cuts included the following services:
- North America: Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Vancouver, Delhi-Newark, Mumbai-New York
- Europe: Delhi-Paris, Delhi-Copenhagen, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-Vienna, Delhi-Zurich, Delhi-Rome
- Australia: Delhi-Melbourne, Delhi-Sydney
- East & Southeast Asia: Delhi-Shanghai, Delhi-Singapore, Mumbai-Singapore, Chennai-Singapore, Delhi-Bangkok, Mumbai-Bangkok, Delhi-Kuala Lumpur, Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City, Delhi-Hanoi
- South Asia: Delhi-Kathmandu, Delhi-Dhaka, Mumbai-Dhaka, Delhi-Colombo, Mumbai-Colombo, Delhi-Malé
These routes were either temporarily suspended or operated at reduced frequencies during the summer. However, the table should not be treated as a confirmed route-by-route list of flights returning on September 1.
Air India to Add More Flights on Major International Routes
Apart from restoring its temporarily reduced services, Air India is planning to increase flight frequencies on several major international routes during the Northern Winter 2026-27 schedule.
The seven international markets identified for additional frequencies are:
- Milan
- Frankfurt
- Zurich
- Vienna
- Melbourne
- Tokyo
- New York
This means Air India is looking to do more than simply restore its summer capacity. It also plans to increase frequencies on selected long-haul routes.
What Does an Increase in Frequency Mean?
For example, if Air India normally operates seven flights a week on a route and temporarily reduces that to four, restoring the service would mean returning to seven weekly flights. On some routes, the airline could also increase frequencies beyond the previous level.
4 flights → 7 flights
For example:
7 flights → 10 flights
However, the exact number of additional flights has not been announced for every route, so specific new frequencies should not be stated unless Air India confirms them.
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