Air India has announced major reductions and temporary suspensions on several international routes between June and August 2026 due to rising operational costs, record high jet fuel prices and ongoing airspace restrictions linked to the West Asia conflict.
The airline said the decision was taken to improve schedule stability and avoid last minute cancellations for passengers. Despite the reductions, Air India stated it will continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month across five continents.
Several major routes to North America, Europe, Australia and Asia have been affected. Flights from Delhi to Chicago and Shanghai have been temporarily suspended, while frequencies to destinations such as San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Paris, Rome, Zurich, Melbourne and Sydney have been reduced.
In Southeast Asia, services between Chennai and Singapore have also been suspended till August, while flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka and Colombo have been reduced.
The airline said the ongoing conflict in West Asia has forced airlines to avoid several airspaces, increasing flight duration and fuel consumption. Combined with record aviation turbine fuel prices, the situation has sharply raised operating expenses for long-haul international routes.
Air India clarified that reports claiming all international flights were cancelled are false. The airline confirmed that only selected routes are being rationalised temporarily and international services will continue normally on many major sectors.
Passengers affected by cancellations or schedule changes will be offered alternate flights, free date changes or full refunds depending on eligibility. The airline has advised travelers to regularly check flight schedules before departure.
