Travellers planning international journeys with Air India between June and August 2026 may need to review their itineraries. The airline has announced temporary schedule changes and flight reductions across multiple international routes covering North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
The airline said the revised schedule is aimed at maintaining network stability and reducing disruption for passengers.
Why Air India reduced flights
In an official statement on X, Air India said two major challenges influenced the decision.
Many long-haul international routes have become more difficult and expensive to operate because of airspace restrictions over certain regions and record-high jet fuel prices.
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Instead of dealing with last-minute operational changes, the airline said it has chosen to make advance adjustments to reduce uncertainty for travellers.
Despite the reductions, international services will continue on a large scale. According to the airline, more than 1,200 international flights will continue to operate every month across five continents.
We are making temporary adjustments to select international services between June and August 2026, necessitated by continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record high jet fuel prices for international operations.
— Air India Newsroom (@AirIndia_News) May 13, 2026
Despite these changes, Air India will continue to… pic.twitter.com/0sjIyfpFWs
Routes affected across regions
Among the major changes, the Delhi–Chicago route has been temporarily suspended. Services from Delhi to San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver have also been reduced.
At the same time, Mumbai–Newark flights will increase and operate daily. However, Mumbai–New York (JFK) and Delhi–Newark services will be temporarily paused.
Several European routes including Paris, Rome, Zurich, Vienna, Milan and Copenhagen will see lower weekly frequencies.
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In Australia, flights from Delhi to Melbourne and Sydney will be reduced from daily operations to four flights each week.
Across Asia, Delhi–Shanghai services have been suspended through August. Chennai–Singapore, Mumbai–Dhaka and Delhi–Malé routes have also been temporarily halted. Other destinations including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Colombo, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will continue with fewer services.
Airline addresses rumours
The announcement follows social media claims suggesting that Air India had stopped all international operations due to fuel shortages.
#FakeNews Alert: Malicious and fabricated claims circulating on certain platforms alleging that Air India has cancelled all international flights are completely false and baseless.
— Air India Newsroom (@AirIndia_News) May 12, 2026
For accurate information, please rely only on official Air India channels. pic.twitter.com/GqjjPfWeeI
The airline clarified that international flights have not been cancelled entirely and urged passengers to rely only on official channels for updates.
Affected travellers will be offered alternate bookings, date changes or refunds based on ticket conditions, according to the airline.