Air India has announced an increase in flights for various international routes for summer schedule. Read on to know more.
Network boost
Air India will increase frequency on various international routes as of 30th March 2025:
- United Kingdom:
- Delhi (DEL)-London Heathrow (LHR): increases from 21- to 24-weekly operated by a combination of Air India’ flagship Airbus A350-900s and ex-Vistara B787-9s aircraft
- Amritsar (ATQ)-Birmingham (BHX): increases from 3- to 4-weekly flights
- Amritsar-London Gatwick (LGW): increases from 3- to 4-weekly flights
- Ahmedabad (AMD)-London Gatwick: increases from 3- to 5-weekly flights
- Rest of Europe:
- Delhi-Zurich (ZRH): increases from 4- to 5-weekly flights
- Delhi-Vienna (VIE): increases from 3- to 4-weekly flights
- Far East Asia:
- Delhi-Seoul Incheon (ICN): increases from 4-to 5-weekly flights
- Delhi-Hong Kong (HKG): switches to B787s from A321s for the 7-weekly flights
- Africa:
- Delhi-Nairobi (NBO): increases from 3- to 4-weekly flights
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Air India will terminate its Kochi (COK)-London Gatwick flights from 30th March 2025 “until further notice”. Flights will continue to operate on Goa (GOX)- London Gatwick route. The full service carrier will also suspend flights on Mumbai (BOM)-Melbourne (MEL) route between 30th March 2025 and 13th September 2025. The airline says that the suspension of these flights is due to the “temporary reduction in the operational fleet” arising from the retrofit program.
Retrofit program
Air India says that the retrofit program of its narrow-body fleet is progressing well, and will complete in mid-2025, while the first of the legacy widebodies, a Boeing 787, will commence retrofit of new seats and entertainment systems in April and re-enter service in October 2025. Thereafter, two-to-three B787s will be inducted per month until all 27 legacy aircraft have been upgraded.
Retrofit of the legacy Boeing B777 fleet with new seats and entertainment systems, originally due to commence in 2025, will now commence in early 2026 “due to production constraints at the selected seat supplier”. In the meantime, Air India is taking the opportunity to refresh as many other elements of the B777 interiors as feasible during 2025, ahead of the full retrofit program.
Featured image by Planespotters.net/Joost Alexander
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