Air India will restore most international services cut in July and August from 1 September, while increasing frequencies on several long-haul routes in its winter schedule. The changes return the carrier closer to normal network levels after it suspended 145 weekly international flights during the peak disruption period, with extra capacity planned on services including New York, Tokyo, Milan, Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Melbourne.
The cuts followed a period of elevated jet fuel prices and longer routings caused by airspace constraints, which weakened the economics of a number of international sectors. Campbell Wilson, the airline’s chief executive, linked the restoration to a moderation in fuel costs, which has improved the case for bringing back services that had been pared back earlier in the summer.
The winter programme also includes a new seasonal Mumbai-Toronto service, scheduled to begin on 25 October. Air India’s network adjustments appear aimed at rebuilding connectivity across India’s transatlantic, European and Asia-Pacific markets while keeping some of the additional frequencies concentrated on the strongest long-haul routes.