New Delhi, May 12, 2026, 22:35 IST
Air India has not cancelled all international flights until July 2026, despite claims spreading on social media. The Tata Group-owned airline is instead reducing some overseas services through June and July as fuel costs, longer routings and airspace curbs weigh on its network.
That distinction matters for passengers booking summer travel. Roughly 100 flights may face temporary reduction, cancellation or rescheduling out of more than 1,000 daily operations, making this a partial cut of about 10% to 12%, not a shutdown of Air India’s international business.
Chief Executive Campbell Wilson told employees the carrier had already reduced some flying in April and May after a “massive rise in jet fuel prices” and longer routes made many international flights unprofitable. Aviation turbine fuel, or ATF, is the jet fuel used by aircraft and is one of an airline’s largest costs. India Today
The pressure is now moving inside the company. Air India has deferred annual salary increments by at least one quarter, while saying variable pay and planned promotions will continue. Chief Human Resources Officer Ravindra Kumar GP told staff, “We don’t anticipate layoffs,” People Matters reported. People Matters
Wilson also told employees the airline had only limited room to pass costs to customers. “We can only raise fares so far before people decide to stay home,” he said, according to Moneycontrol, while asking staff to keep spending tight and continue the carrier’s turnaround work. Moneycontrol
The reported cuts are focused on costlier long-haul and international sectors, including routes tied to Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore. Reports have listed cities such as Chicago, Frankfurt, Vancouver, Melbourne and Singapore among routes that could see lower frequencies, while some services including Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-Osaka have been reported for temporary suspension.
Air India is not alone. Indian airlines have been hit by restricted airspace in West Asia and Pakistan, forcing longer flight paths. Amit Mittal, an independent aviation expert, called it a “double whammy” for Indian carriers flying international routes, while Reuters reported that Air India and IndiGo had to take longer routes and burn more fuel. Reuters
Competitive pressure is still uneven. IndiGo, India’s biggest airline, also faces higher fuel and rerouting costs, but Air India’s larger long-haul exposure makes the pain sharper on routes to the United States and Europe, where rivals such as Lufthansa and American Airlines may have an advantage when they can use shorter routings.
New Delhi has tried to soften the blow at home by capping monthly increases in ATF prices for domestic flights at 25%, a move the government said was aimed at protecting passengers from sudden fare increases. That cap does not erase the pressure on overseas routes, where longer flying times and higher fuel burn can quickly break route economics.
The risk is that the cuts deepen if the West Asia conflict drags on, the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted or fuel prices stay elevated. Wilson said Air India hoped the Middle East situation would settle and the Strait would open “so that we can get back to a more normal state,” but for now the airline says it has “no choice” but to trim schedules for June and July. Ndtv
For passengers, the practical issue is flight status, not a blanket cancellation. Air India has advised customers to check flight status before heading to the airport and has previously offered rebooking or refunds where scheduled services were temporarily suspended.
The broader picture is a tougher phase in Air India’s post-privatisation overhaul. The group is estimated to have posted losses of more than ₹22,000 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, while still trying to modernise aircraft, improve service and rebuild its international network.
