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Air India Cuts Various International Flights From June to August Amid the Middle East Crisis and Airspace Restrictions

18 May, 2026By : Travomint

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Air India has announced a significant route rationalization of its international network on May 13, 2026, effective June 1, 2026. Citing airspace restrictions and volatile jet fuel prices, the carrier will suspend or reduce frequencies on several key routes through August 2026 to ensure long-term network stability. All this critically hampered the commercial viability of some planned Air India services.

As per Air India, “These changes are aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience for passengers.” Moreover, the airline will still continue to operate over 1200 international flights every month.

Air India Routes Affected Due to Changes

The recent rationalization by Air India affects several flights from India to destinations worldwide, including San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, Rome, Sydney, Singapore, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Ho Chi Minh City, and others.

As per the data mentioned by Air India, a summary of the networks temporarily affected by the airline is:

North America

All Delhi-to-Chicago, Delhi to Newark, and Mumbai to New York flights are temporarily suspended.
7x weekly flights are operated on the Delhi to San Francisco route through August, rather than 10x weekly.
5x weekly flights operate on the Delhi to Toronto route, rather than 10x weekly. Flights are increased to daily operations from August onwards.
5x weekly flights operate on the Delhi to Vancouver route, rather than 7x weekly.
However, Delhi to New York flights remain 7x weekly, and Mumbai to Newark flights increase from 3x weekly to 7x weekly.

Europe

Delhi to Paris flight operations have been reduced from 14x to 7x weekly.
Delhi to Milan flight operations have been reduced from 5x to 4x weekly.
All flights from Delhi to Copenhagen, Vienna, Zurich, and Rome are reduced from 4x to 3x weekly.

Australia

Flights from Delhi to Melbourne and Sydney have been reduced from 7x to 4x weekly.

Southeast Asia, Far East, and SAARC

All flights from Delhi to Shanghai, Chennai to Singapore, Delhi to Male, and Mumbai to Dhaka are temporarily suspended through August.
Delhi to Singapore flight operations are reduced from 24x to 14x weekly.
Mumbai to Singapore flight operations are reduced from 14x to 7x weekly.
Delhi to Bangkok flight operations are reduced from 28x to 21x weekly flights from July.
Mumbai to Bangkok flight operations are reduced from 13x to 7x weekly flights from July.
Delhi to Kuala Lumpur flight operations have been reduced from 10 weekly flights to 5.
Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City flight operations are reduced from 7x to 4x weekly flights in July and August.
Delhi to Hanoi flight operations are reduced from 5x to 4x weekly flights in July and August.
Delhi to Kathmandu flight operations are reduced from 42x to 28x weekly flights in June, and further to 21x weekly in July and August.
Delhi to Dhaka and Mumbai to Colombo flight operations have been reduced from 7x to 4x weekly flights.
Delhi to Colombo flight operations are reduced from 14x to 12x weekly flights.

Air India Flights Affected Due to the Suspension

Several Air India flights are affected by the suspension of various international routes, starting from June 1, 2026. Air India flight numbers that are canceled on one or the other day of the week are: 105, 106, 116, 119, 122, 123, 126, 127, 137, 138, 139, 140, 147, 148, 151, 152, 153, 154, 157, 158, 159, 160, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 195, 196, 211, 212, 213, 214, 217, 218, 237, 277, 278, 281, 282, 301, 302, 308, 309, 346, 347, 348, 349, 351, 352, 423, 424, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 887, 996, 2107, 2108, 2115, 2116, 2183, 2184, 2239, 2240, 2275, 2276, 2337, 2338, 2355, 2356, 2382, 2383, 2384, 2387, 2388, 2389, 2390, 2391, 2430, 2941, and 4139.

If you want to know on which day of the week your Air India flight will not operate, you can visit the official website of Air India at https://www.airindia.com/in/en/flight-cancellation-schedule.html

Implications of Air India Flight Suspension

As per Air India, “Air India will proactively assist customers with bookings affected by the cancellations through this period with re-accommodation on alternative feasible Air India flights, free date change or full refunds, as applicable. The airline remains available to support guests through its 24x7 contact center and digital channels.”

Moreover, to restore the airline's full capacity at the earliest, when conditions permit, the airline continues to work closely with the airport authorities, regulators, and industry partners. However, in light of Air India’s concerns, it may need to make further adjustments to its network if the extraordinary operating environment prevails.

Reason behind the Air India Flight Suspension

The temporary cutoff of Air India flights has been attributed mainly to two reasons: first, airspace restrictions in some regions, and second, high fuel prices.

Due to the war in Iran, various airspace closures have been triggered. Moreover, a sharp rise in global fuel costs has added pressure on airline operators worldwide and forced them to adopt longer reroutes.

As per Reuters, “Air India, in which ?Singapore Airlines holds a roughly 25% stake with the ?rest owned by Tata Sons, is grappling with mounting losses and ?operational disruptions linked to the conflict, which have significantly increased expenses and compounded the effects of Pakistan's airspace ban.”

Since last year, Islamabad has already banned Indian carriers from its airspace due to the military tension between these two nuclear-armed neighbors.

No Relief for Air India Passengers

Though there are disruptions and challenges in operating Air India's flights, the airline continues to operate over 1,200 international flights monthly. The airline still has a robust international network that spans over five continents. As per the Air India website, the airline continues to fly: