Air India to cut nearly 100 overseas flights
Air India will cut nearly 100 overseas flights and temporarily suspend services on seven routes, including Delhi-Chicago, that will result in up to a 27 per cent reduction between June and August compared with April, as prolonged airspace restrictions and soaring aviation fuel prices amid the West Asia war weigh on their viability.
More than 100 weekly or over 400 monthly international services will be reduced during the next three months, as per calculations based on details of flight reductions provided by the airline in the statement. The sharp reduction adds to the mounting operational and financial challenges for the Tata Group carrier.
The airline said the temporary changes were aimed at improving operational stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience to passengers as global aviation continues to face disruptions linked to the Iran war crisis and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, Air India said, “The adjustments have been made in response to a combination of factors, including continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record-high jet fuel prices for international operations, which significantly impact the commercial viability of certain planned services.” Despite the cuts, the airline said it would continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month across five continents.
The carrier will be temporarily suspending services on Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Newark, Mumbai-New York, Delhi-Shanghai, Chennai-Singapore, Mumbai-Dhaka, and Delhi-Male routes till August. While announcing the rationalisation of services, Air India also said it “may make further adjustments to its network should the extraordinary operating environment prevail”.
On the North America routes, the airlines will reduce at least 10 weekly flights apart from the temporary suspension of Delhi-Chicago services.
Air India will cut 12 weekly flights on the Europe network, while the reduction will be six weekly services on the Australia front, according to the statement.
There will be up to a reduction of 68 weekly flights in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and SAARC networks.
The airline said it would continue to operate more than 1,200 international flights every month.
