Airline Plans to Reinstate Capacity After Summer Schedule Reductions
NEW DELHI — Air India plans to restore most of the domestic and international flights it temporarily suspended during the summer travel season beginning in September 2026, signaling a return to a more normal operating schedule after three months of network adjustments driven by aircraft shortages and geopolitical challenges.
The Tata Group-owned carrier had reduced flight capacity by as much as 15% between June and August as it managed fleet constraints, aircraft retrofits, delivery delays, and airspace disruptions affecting several long-haul routes. The airline now expects the majority of those services to resume next month, although flights to two U.S. destinations will remain suspended due to limited aircraft availability.
The update was provided by Air India’s Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Nipun Aggarwal, during a tourism conference organized by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) in New Delhi.
Aggarwal said the reductions were always intended to be temporary and emphasized that the airline’s September schedule had remained open for bookings throughout the adjustment period.
Fleet Availability Drives Recovery Plans
Most International Routes to Resume
Air India said the majority of its September schedule is already available for booking, allowing travelers to make reservations well ahead of the restoration of services.
The airline expects operations across Europe to return to normal as additional frequencies are restored during August and September. Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport are also scheduled to regain additional frequencies as more aircraft re-enter service following maintenance and retrofit work.
However, the recovery will not be complete across the entire international network.
Flights to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport will remain suspended for now because the airline continues to face a shortage of wide-body aircraft.
According to Aggarwal, the shortage stems from several factors, including an ongoing cabin retrofit program for existing aircraft, delays in deliveries from aircraft manufacturers, and the retirement of older Boeing 777-200LR aircraft from the fleet.
The executive also noted that deliveries of new aircraft, including the Airbus A350-1000, are expected to begin toward the end of the year, providing additional capacity for future expansion.
Airspace Restrictions Continue to Challenge Operations
While Air India is restoring much of its schedule, operational challenges remain.
The airline said the continued closure of Pakistan’s airspace remains its most significant obstacle for international operations. The restrictions force aircraft to take longer flight paths on several routes, increasing flight times and operational costs.
Although airspace over Iran and Iraq has reopened, easing some of the complexity surrounding international flight planning, Pakistan’s restrictions continue to affect network efficiency.
Air India said it has been adjusting its route network wherever possible to minimize disruptions, but acknowledged that flexibility remains limited until geopolitical conditions improve.
Despite these operational hurdles, Aggarwal said the airspace restrictions have not altered the airline’s long-term fleet growth strategy because aircraft orders have already been placed.
Several wide-body aircraft also remain unavailable while undergoing extensive cabin modernization work. Combined with delayed deliveries from manufacturers, these temporary fleet limitations have reduced the number of aircraft available for scheduled service.
Capacity Cuts Begin to Reverse as Demand Remains Strong
At the height of the network rationalization, Air India reduced domestic flight capacity by roughly 10% to 15%.
The airline introduced the schedule adjustments in May, affecting selected routes across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Even during the reductions, however, Air India continued operating more than 1,200 international flights each month across five continents, maintaining a substantial global presence.
As additional aircraft return to service, the carrier has begun reversing those temporary cuts.
According to the airline, passenger demand has remained resilient despite the reduced schedule, supporting plans to restore capacity ahead of the fall travel season.
Aggarwal also suggested travelers could benefit from more competitive ticket prices in the coming months.
With more seats returning to the market and jet fuel prices showing signs of easing, airfare pressure is expected to moderate. He emphasized that Air India has not changed its pricing strategy, noting that ticket prices continue to be determined primarily by market demand and available seat capacity rather than any internal adjustment to the airline’s pricing model.
The planned restoration of flights marks another step in Air India’s ongoing transformation under Tata Group ownership as the carrier works to modernize its fleet, expand international operations, and strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive global aviation market.
