Air India, a Tata group company, has decided to add 78 additional international flights to cater to the increased demand for travel by bypassing the middle eastern hubs which are stuck between the war with USA and Israel on one side and Iran on another. The airline which is already facing headwinds due to return of few B777 aircraft, closure of Pakistani airspace and severe restrictions on the middle eastern airspace is taking lead after cancelling flights initially.
With a significant chunk of capacity absent from the market due to limited operations by the middle eastern carriers, Air India is stepping up to add flights to various city pairs to Europe, USA and neighbourhood around India.
Between 10 and 18 March 2026, Air India will operate 78 additional flights on the following routes, thus boosting much-needed capacity when travel options for passengers remain constrained:
- Delhi to New York (JFK)
- Delhi to London (Heathrow)
- Mumbai to London (Heathrow)
- Delhi to Frankfurt
- Delhi to Paris (CDG)
- Delhi to Amsterdam
- Delhi to Zurich
- Delhi to Malé
- Delhi to Colombo
Together, these flights add 17,660 seats on nine routes in both directions. The additional flights on the European routes will operate with B787-8 and those to Malé and Colombo will be operated with A320neo aircraft. The flights to New York (JFK) are subject to the requisite regulatory approvals and would operate with Air India’s B777-300ER aircraft.
The flight schedule is as below and is subject to change as well as subject to approvals
| SCHEDULE OF ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS (10-18 March 2026) | ||||
| FLIGHT # | SECTOR | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL | DAYS OF OPERATION |
| AI165 | Delhi-London (LHR) | 1225 Hrs | 1800 Hrs | 11, 13, 15, 18 Mar |
| AI166 | London (LHR)-Delhi | 1930 Hrs | 1020 Hrs+1 | 11, 13, 15, 18 Mar |
| AI4131 | Mumbai-London (LHR) | 0125 Hrs | 0640 Hrs | 12, 14 Mar |
| AI4130 | London (LHR)-Mumbai | 0810 Hrs | 2255 Hrs | 12, 14 Mar |
| AI121 | Delhi-Frankfurt | 1230 Hrs | 1750 Hrs | Daily from 10-18 Mar (except 14 Mar) |
| AI120 | Frankfurt-Delhi | 1920 Hrs | 0850 Hrs+1 | Daily from 10-18 Mar (except 14 Mar) |
| AI4155 | Delhi-Amsterdam | 1230 Hrs | 1800 Hrs | 12, 14, 16 Mar |
| AI4156 | Amsterdam-Delhi | 1935 Hrs | 0900 Hrs+1 | 12, 14, 16 Mar |
| AI177 | Delhi-Paris (CDG) | 1430 Hrs | 2040 Hrs | 15 Mar |
| AI178 | Paris (CDG)-Delhi | 2215 Hrs | 1200 Hrs+1 | 15 Mar |
| AI151 | Delhi-Zurich | 1335 Hrs | 1900 Hrs | 10, 17 Mar |
| AI152 | Zurich-Delhi | 2035 Hrs | 1000 Hrs+1 | 10, 17 Mar |
| AI4101 | Delhi-New York (JFK)1 | 0535 Hrs | 1705 Hrs | 12, 14, 17 Mar |
| AI4102 | New York (JFK)-Delhi1 | 2005 Hrs | 2030 Hrs+1 | 12, 14, 17 Mar |
| AI3201 | Delhi-Maldives | 0200 Hrs | 0545 Hrs | Daily from 10-18 Mar |
| AI3202 | Maldives-Delhi | 0645 Hrs | 1130 Hrs | Daily from 10-18 Mar |
| AI3203 | Delhi-Colombo | 0015 Hrs | 0400 Hrs | Daily from 10-17 Mar (except 11 Mar) |
| AI3204 | Colombo-Delhi | 0500 Hrs | 0845 Hrs | Daily from 10-17 Mar(except 11 Mar) |
Network Thoughts
Mounting flights at a short notice is not as easy task since it requires coordination across various airports, airspaces, catering agencies and most importantly crew and secure airways in current times. These additions would help Air India recover some of its losses suffered in the last few days. Airlines the worldover remain on the edge with a conflict which is changing rapidly. What happens next is anybody’s guess. Air India is showing that it is nimble, at a time when rival IndiGo has limitations with its wet-leased widebody operations.
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