Air India has reduced more than 500 international flights a month from its schedule this summer as rising jet fuel prices and airspace restrictions weigh on the profitability of long-haul operations.
According to data from aviation analytics firm Official Airline Guide (OAG), the airline’s international operations fell sharply year-on-year in April and May, with the steepest reductions seen on routes to North America and parts of Europe. In April, Air India operated 1,987 international flights, down from 2,549 a year earlier, while May schedules show 2,072 flights compared with 2,588 in the same month last year.
The most significant reductions have come on ultra-long-haul routes to the United States and Canada, where higher fuel burn and longer flying times have increased operating costs.
Flights connecting Delhi and Mumbai with destinations such as Newark and New York have been scaled back, while services between Delhi and San Francisco have been halved to 31 flights in May from 62 earlier, according to OAG data. Delhi-Vancouver services have also reduced to 23 flights in May from 31 in January.
Lower travel frequencies
European routes have also seen lower frequencies as the airline adjusts capacity across its international network. Flights to Paris, Milan and Zurich are down between 15% and 20% this month, while services to Copenhagen, Vienna and Rome have fallen by around 10%. Operations to London Heathrow and Gatwick have remained stable despite the wider reductions.
The pullback comes amid a sharp rise in global crude oil prices and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) cracks following geopolitical tensions in West Asia and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies. The higher fuel costs, along with longer flight paths caused by airspace restrictions, have increased operating expenses for airlines flying to Europe and North America.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in an internal communication to employees last week that several international routes had become commercially unviable under current conditions. He said the airline would continue trimming schedules through June and July while hoping for a stabilisation in the geopolitical situation and easing of operational disruptions.