Flying abroad this summer? Air India cuts international flights amid high jet fuel prices: List of 6 suspended routes

Air India on Wednesday said it will scale back its international operations and temporarily suspend flights on six routes amid airspace restrictions and elevated aviation fuel costs.

The airline, which is already operating reduced frequencies on some overseas routes, said the revised schedule will remain in effect from June through August.

Delhi–Chicago

Mumbai–New York

Delhi–Shanghai

Chennai–Singapore

Mumbai–Dhaka

Delhi–Malé

Despite these suspensions, the airline mentioned it will continue to operate more than 1,200 international flights each month. Under the revised schedule, Air India will maintain 33 weekly flights to North America, 47 to Europe, 57 to the United Kingdom, eight to Australia, 158 to destinations across the Far East, Southeast Asia and the SAARC region, and seven weekly services to Mauritius.

Air India stated that several factors, including ongoing airspace restrictions in some regions and exceptionally high aviation fuel costs for international operations, have significantly affected the commercial viability of certain planned services.

“Air India today announced the rationalisation of its services on select international routes between June and August 2026. The adjustments have been made in response to a combination of factors, including continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record high jet fuel prices for international operations, which significantly impact the commercial viability of certain planned services,” the airline said.

Air India said it will assist passengers affected by the cancellations by offering rebooking on alternative Air India flights wherever possible, complimentary date changes, or full refunds, depending on eligibility. The airline added that customers can seek support through its 24/7 contact centre and digital channels.

The disruption comes at a time when the Air India, owned by the Tata Group, is searching for a new chief executive after Campbell Wilson stepped down in April.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, aviation fuel prices in May were 63% higher for international operations and nearly 15% higher for domestic flights compared with levels before the Iran conflict. Since fuel can account for up to 40% of an airline’s operating costs, even relatively small increases can have a substantial impact on profitability.

Indian airlines are also facing longer flight times to Europe and the United States as the closure of Iranian airspace adds to existing restrictions on using Pakistani airspace, which have been in place since May last year.

Air India currently operates a fleet of around 190 aircraft and runs nearly 8,000 flights each week. In the financial year ended March 31, 2026, it carried close to 62 million passengers.

CEO Campbell Wilson said that because of airspace restrictions, some routes that were previously viable have become far less profitable and, in some cases, loss-making, prompting the airline to scale back operations on those sectors, as per PTI.

"We will continue to do the things that improve revenues and continue to do things to improve costs," Wilson stated.