Air India cuts international flights amid Middle East conflict

BENGALURU: Air India will temporarily cut flights on several international routes between June and August, it said on Wednesday, citing airspace restrictions in some regions and record-high jet fuel prices.

The Iran war has triggered airspace closures, forced longer reroutings and driven a sharp rise in global fuel costs, adding pressure on airlines operating around the world.

Air India 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.

Islamabad banned Indian carriers from its airspace last year amid military tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Air India will temporarily suspend flights on the Delhi-Chicago and Mumbai-New York routes. In Europe, it will reduce the frequency of services from Delhi to Paris, Milan and Rome.

In Asia, services between Delhi and Shanghai have been suspended.

The airline said it will continue to operate over 1,200 international flights every month and would work to restore its full operations when circumstances allow. But it added that further adjustments to its network were possible if disruptions persist.