Air India is reviewing whether to reinstate international flights it scaled back between June and August, after easing tensions in the Middle East reopened airspace and pushed jet fuel prices meaningfully lower, according to an internal memo from CEO Campbell Wilson obtained by NDTV.
“The violence in the Middle East has subsided, and although there is no assurance that it won’t worsen, the calmer climate has made more airspace available, and fuel prices have considerably decreased,” Wilson wrote. “We might be able to reverse some of the timetable cuts we made in recent months if this trend continues.”
The airline had trimmed select international routes to avoid last-minute disruptions caused by airspace restrictions and elevated fuel costs — while continuing to operate more than 1,200 international flights monthly across five continents. Wilson was careful not to make promises, framing the potential restoration as conditional on current conditions holding.
Beyond the route recovery news, the memo contained several operational updates worth noting. Air India expects to add eight more new or refurbished widebody aircraft to its fleet this year, including a Boeing 787-9 arriving this weekend. The carrier also posted its strongest on-time performance in June — 86% overall and a record 90% domestic — though Wilson credited the temporarily reduced schedule as a partial factor. New routes include four weekly Mumbai-Tokyo Haneda flights, and Air India Express will become the first airline to operate an international passenger flight from the new Navi Mumbai International Airport, launching Abu Dhabi service next month.
Why It Matters: Air India’s potential route restoration is another data point in the broader post-conflict aviation recovery story. As Middle East airspace reopens and fuel costs retreat, expect other carriers operating in the region to follow a similar playbook — more capacity, more options, and eventually more competitive fares on affected corridors.
Source: Air India May Restore Some International Flights as Gulf Tensions Ease, Fuel Prices Fall
