Air India Cancels 8 Major International Routes: See Full List Now

Published Nov 12, 2026, 9:00 AM EST Prachi is a London-based journalist with extensive experience in the aviation industry. She has worked for several leading industry publications, covering a broad range of topics. Her expertise lies in aircraft maintenance, emerging technologies, and advanced air mobility. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism, focusing on data journalism and its potential to transform conventional aviation reporting. Since the beginning of 2026, Air India, which is India's largest international airline, has made several changes to its international network. The carrier has added new destinations but has also withdrawn from several long-haul markets such as Chicago, citing high jet fuel prices. In addition, the Star Alliance member has been transferring several international routes to its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express. It has particularly been doing so from airports outside its main hubs. Air India Ends Services To Three European Destinations Credit: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock Three of the cuts are to Europe. Perhaps the most notable is its service between Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Birmingham Airport (BHX), which ended earlier this month. According to Sabre Market Intelligence data cited by Aviation Week, approximately 207,300 passengers traveled between Birmingham and India in 2025, representing an 8.3% decline from the previous year. Delhi was the second-largest market, accounting for around 53,600 passengers, behind Amritsar. Another destination the Indian flag carrier has withdrawn from is Vienna International Airport (VIE), which had also served as a stopover for some of its North American flights. This has left the Austrian capital without a nonstop connection to India. Route End month in 2026 Remarks Delhi – Birmingham November No more direct Delhi flights from Birmingham Delhi – Vienna October Delhi – Copenhagen October Delhi – Riyadh October Replaced by Air India Express (4x weekly from December) Chennai – Singapore May Replaced by Air India Express (2x daily) Chennai – Dubai March Hyderabad – Dubai March Replaced by Air India Express (5x weekly) Kochi – Dubai March Replaced by Air India Express (up to 2x daily) In terms of the numbers, Delhi was Vienna's largest Indian market in 2025, accounting for approximately 68,400 of the 173,500 passengers who traveled between Vienna and Indian cities that year. Elsewhere in Europe, the Star Alliance member has also discontinued its service to Copenhagen, Denmark. Air India Has Ended All International Flights From Chennai Credit: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock Furthermore, Air India has also completely withdrawn from the international market at Chennai International Airport (MAA). Last year, the airline ended its daily flights to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In March, it discontinued its daily service to Dubai International Airport (DXB), followed by its Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) route in May. The latter had operated twice daily until April but was reduced to a daily service in May. However, Chennai has not lost its nonstop connection to Singapore. The route has been transferred to Air India Express. The low-cost subsidiary resumed twice-daily flights between the two cities on October 25, using its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. It had previously served the route until July 2025. The Dubai route was also transferred to Air India Express, but the carrier operated it only briefly. According to scheduling data from aviation analytics company Cirium, the budget airline operated just seven flights on the route in March, and no nonstop services are currently scheduled between Chennai and Dubai. Air India Looks To Move Some Long-Haul Flights From Delhi To Mumbai Credit: Yatrik Sheth | Shutterstock 2026 has been a difficult year for airlines worldwide due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising jet fuel prices. For Air India, the situation has been further complicated by Pakistan's airspace closure, which has been in place for Indian airlines since April 2025. These restrictions have particularly affected its long-haul flights from Delhi to Europe and North America. The airline now has to take lengthy detours over the Arabian Sea, adding up to four hours to flight times and increasing operating costs. As a result, the Star Alliance member has suspended some routes and reduced frequencies to several US destinations. It has also reported substantial financial losses; it recorded a consolidated net loss of around $2.4 billion (₹22,238 crore) in the 2025–26 financial year. Air India reportedly lost a further $1.12 billion (₹10,500 crore to ₹10,800 crore) between April and September 2026. The airline is now looking to make changes to its long-haul network. As reported by Eastern Eye, speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2026 conference in New Delhi, CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam said Air India plans to shift some of its long-haul operations from Delhi to Mumbai as part of a wider network rebalancing. Bengaluru is also being considered as another hub.