22-Hour Flights: Air India Suspends 3 Ultra-Long-Haul Routes To The US

While the impacts of the ongoing 2026 Iran Crisis are being felt most directly in the Middle East, the subsequent disruption to the commercial aviation sector extends far beyond the periphery of the region. Indeed, Air India is heavily reliant on flying through Middle Eastern airspace to serve its destinations in Europe and North America, but present uncertainty on this front, along with other factors, has forced it to make cuts.

Most notably, as announced in a statement released by the carrier earlier this week, Air India is set to temporarily suspend operations on a trio of ultra-long-haul routes to the US. These services had already been complicated by the need to add a fuel stop enroute in Europe due to having to go the long way around disrupted airspace, stretching their block times as high as 22 hours.

Three Major Cuts

Air India has confirmed a raft of schedule changes that will apply between June 1 and August 31 of this year, with "continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record high jet fuel prices for international operations" said to have been key contributing factors. Most notably, this period will see the Star Alliance member temporarily shelve its ultra-long-haul flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

The former was already operating via Vienna International Airport (VIE) in Austria, while the latter was flying via Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Italy. Both were operating four times a week. Elsewhere, a third US cut has been made, with the six weekly rotations between Mumbai and New York-JFK via Rome also being shelved between June 1 and August 31 of this year. According to its statement, the airline hopes the route changes will improve its network and passenger experience.

"The adjustments have been made in response to a combination of factors. (...) These changes are aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience to passengers."

Some North American Routes Will Continue Operating

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These cuts represent a significant dent in Air India's capacity on routes to and from the United States, but that doesn't mean the crisis has forced it to withdraw from North America altogether. Indeed, Aero Routes notes that some of its other routes in this market will remain operational, albeit with reduced frequencies. For instance, the Delhi-San Francisco route via Kolkata will drop from 10 flights a week to seven.

Meanwhile, two of Air India's Canadian routes from Delhi have also seen similar cuts, with its frequency between the Indian capital and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) dropping from 10 flights a week to five before increasing to seven. This service currently operates via Vienna, while the route from Delhi to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), whose frequency will drop from seven flights a week to five, flies via Kolkata.

That said, the consolidation of its North American capacity means Air India will be able to increase frequencies on one US route this summer. Specifically, its presence on the route from Mumbai to Newark will jump from three flights a week to seven, while Delhi to New York-JFK will retain its daily flights. The former route operates via Rome with the Boeing 777-300ER, while the latter is nonstop and uses the Airbus A350.

Other Changes Elsewhere

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As previously noted, Air India's reliance on Middle Eastern airspace also impacts its flights to and from Europe. With this in mind, it is unsurprising to see that certain European routes will also be affected by the Indian flag carrier's latest cull. For instance, Delhi to Paris CDG will drop from two flights a day to one.

Elsewhere in Europe, the airline's routes from Delhi to Copenhagen, Rome, Vienna, and Zürich will all drop from four flights a week to three this summer, with its capacity between Delhi and Milan sinking from five weekly rotations to four.