After widebody aircraft, Air India now reduces narrowbody flights

ANI June 22, 2025 281 views

Air India has announced a temporary 5% cut in its narrowbody flight operations, following earlier reductions in widebody services. The airline has suspended three routes and adjusted frequencies on 19 others to improve operational stability. Meanwhile, escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf have forced Air India to reroute flights, potentially increasing travel times. The airline assures passengers of proactive rebooking options while prioritizing safety.

"We remain committed to restoring our full schedule as soon as practicable while prioritising passenger safety." – Air India
New Delhi, June 22: Air India on Sunday announced a temporary reduction of less than 5 per cent to its overall narrowbody network, following previous announcements of temporary reductions in its widebody international services by 15 per cent.

Key Points

1

Air India trims 5% of narrowbody flights to boost reliability

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Three routes suspended and 19 adjusted until mid-July

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Gulf tensions force rerouting, extending flight durations

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Air India maintains nearly 600 daily narrowbody operations

The latest decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on three routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes.

The changes are effective until at least July 15, the airline said in a statement.

These reductions are aimed at strengthening Air India's network-wide operational stability and minimising last-minute inconvenience to passengers.

Despite these temporary reductions, Air India said it will continue to operate close to 600 daily flights with its narrowbody aircraft on 120 domestic and short-haul international routes.

In the statement, Air India apologises to the passengers affected by these curtailments and added it is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary rescheduling or full refunds as per their preferences.

"The revised schedule is being progressively made available on our website, airindia.com, mobile app and through our contact centre. We remain committed to restoring our full schedule as soon as practicable, while at all times prioritising the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft," the airline added.

In other news, Air India on Sunday said that all its flights are currently avoiding certain airspaces over the Persian Gulf, amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

An Air India spokesperson, in a statement, said the adjustment in route may lead to extended flight durations to destinations including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, besides some flights to/from Europe and North America.

"Amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region, Air India group confirms that our flights currently do not operate over the airspaces of Iran, Iraq and Israel," the Air India spokesperson said.

As a proactive measure, Air India said it will be progressively avoiding the use of certain airspace over the Persian Gulf in the coming days, opting instead for alternative paths for flights to destinations including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.

"This adjustment may lead to extended flight durations for these services, as well as for select flights to/from Europe and North America. Air India is in continuous consultation with our external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation, ready to implement additional measures, if required, to uphold the safety and integrity of our operations. We will keep our passengers informed of any updates. The safety and security of our passengers, staff, and aircraft remain our number one priority," the Air India spokesperson added in the brief statement.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.
As a frequent flyer, I appreciate Air India being proactive about safety and operational stability. Better to have minor schedule changes than last-minute cancellations. Hope they restore full operations soon! ✈️
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Priya M.
The Middle East situation is really worrying. Good that Air India is taking precautions, but extended flight durations will increase fuel costs. Wonder if ticket prices will go up? Safety first though!
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Arjun S.
Disappointed with the route suspensions. My parents were planning to visit from Kolkata next month and now their flight is cancelled. Hope the alternative arrangements are smooth.
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Sunita P.
After Tata takeover, Air India was improving but these cuts show they still have challenges. At least they're being transparent and offering refunds. Other Indian airlines should learn from this approach.
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Vikram J.
The Gulf situation affects so many Indian workers and businesses. Hope the government is coordinating with airlines to ensure safe travel for our people working in Middle East countries.
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Neha R.
While safety is important, Air India should have planned better. Summer vacations have started and many families have travel plans. These last-minute changes are very inconvenient 😕

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Air India flight reductions narrowbody aircraft Gulf airspace airline operations