Air India to operate 36 additional flights to key destinations in Europe and North America from March 19
New Delhi, March 17
Air India on Tuesday announced to operate additional flights on five routes between March 19 and 28 across North America and Europe, amidst the rising demand due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
In an official release, Air India said that 36 additional flights on Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow), Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich and Delhi-Toronto routes, which will add a total of 10,012 seats, will boost capacity and provide more choice to travellers when travel options remain limited.
"Amid continued high demand for international travel due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region, Air India today announced it will continue to operate additional flights to key destinations in Europe and North America through 28 March 2026. Between 19 and 28 March 2026, Air India will operate 36 extra flights on the following routes: Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow) Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich, Delhi-Toronto. Together, these flights will add 10,012 seats on the five routes, further boosting capacity and providing more choice to travellers when travel options remain limited. These services follow Air India's recently announced capacity augmentation between 10 and 18 March with 78 additional flights on nine routes," the official release from Air India said.
On March 16, Air India and Air India Express announced to operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 16, the airline said.
This came amid the escalating conflict in West Asia. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28. Iran has been targeting US assets in several Gulf countries and tensions have disrupted international supply chains. Iran has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global energy supply.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Tuesday that Ali Larijani, Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an overnight airstrike in Tehran.
"Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated tonight and joined the head of the destruction plan, Khamenei, and all the thwarted members of the evil axis in the depths of hell. The Prime Minister and I have instructed the [Israel Defence Forces] to continue hunting down the leadership of the regime of terror and oppression in Iran," Katz said, as quoted by TPS.
He also confirmed that Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran's Basij paramilitary force, was killed in the same series of strikes.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some good news for travelers! The fares to London and Toronto were getting crazy high. Hope these extra seats bring the prices down a bit. But I wish they had added more flights from Mumbai too, not just Delhi for most routes.
The geopolitical context here is worrying. The article starts with flights but quickly shifts to assassinations and conflict. While the extra capacity is welcome, it's a reminder that our travel plans are often at the mercy of global instability. Stay safe, everyone.
As an NRI in Toronto, this is very helpful news. Many of us have family back home who might need to travel suddenly. Appreciate Air India responding to the demand. The connection via Delhi works well for most of North India.
Good initiative, but the service quality needs to match the expansion. I flew Air India to Frankfurt last month and the in-flight experience was subpar. Hope the Tata group focuses on both quantity AND quality. Jai Hind!
Direct flight to Zurich is a great addition! Switzerland is a popular holiday destination for many Indian families. Timing is perfect before the summer break. Hopefully, they continue some of these routes beyond March if demand persists.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.