Air India's Strategic Route Changes

Air India's Proposal for Route Changes

Air India might introduce fuel stops in Mumbai or Ahmedabad on its flights from Delhi to North America to reduce disruptions caused by avoiding closed Pakistani airspace.

"We have made good progress in identifying other alternatives and aim to reduce the number of overseas tech-stops, and restore more non-stop operations, soon," Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said in an internal memo to staff, without going into detail.

The airline currently flies from Delhi and Mumbai to North America, making fuel stops at Copenhagen Kastrup and Vienna in both directions. Non-stop flights are unfeasible due to the significantly increased distance. In addition to the expenses from extra stops and higher fuel consumption, the extended flight durations complicate crew scheduling. Although the airline received temporary relief from certain crew working-time regulations, the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation indicated that this was only a short-term solution.

Air India is reportedly exploring the possibility of refueling departing aircraft from Delhi at airports in western India. This approach could enable operations without the need for technical stops abroad, offering several advantages, including simplifying crew rotations.

The airline currently operates flights from Delhi to Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK, New York Newark, Toronto Pearson, and Washington Dulles. The closure of Pakistani airspace does not impact services to Vancouver International and San Francisco. From Mumbai, the airline only flies to JFK, Newark, and San Francisco. The cost of the detours has been estimated at nearly UDS600 million annually.

Pakistan restricted its airspace to Indian airlines on April 24, following a terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. This incident led Delhi to implement its own measures against Pakistan, ultimately resulting in a ban on Pakistani carriers as well.