New Delhi, August 12 - Air India, the Tata Group-owned national carrier of India, announced on August 11, 2025, that it will suspend its non-stop flight services between New Delhi and Washington, D.C., effective September 1, 2025. This decision stems from a combination of operational challenges, primarily a shortage of aircraft due to an ongoing retrofit program and the continued closure of Pakistan’s airspace to Indian carriers. The suspension marks a significant setback for the airline’s India-U.S. route network, as it disrupts one of its key long-haul services connecting the two capital cities.
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The primary driver behind the suspension is the unavailability of multiple Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which form the backbone of Air India’s long-haul operations, including the Delhi-Washington route. The airline initiated a $400 million retrofit program in July 2025 to modernize 26 of these aircraft, aiming to enhance passenger comfort and revamp cabin interiors. This extensive upgrade, expected to continue until at least the end of 2026, will keep several planes grounded at any given time, significantly reducing the airline’s operational capacity. The first batch of aircraft has already reached Boeing’s facility, with the second scheduled for October 2025, and the entire program is projected to conclude by July 2027. Additionally, Air India plans to retrofit 13 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft starting in January 2027, with completion targeted for October 2028, further straining fleet availability.
Compounding the fleet shortage is the ongoing ban on Indian carriers using Pakistan’s airspace, a restriction that began in April 2025 following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after a terror attack in Indian Kashmir. This closure forces Air India to reroute its long-haul flights, including the Delhi-Washington service, which currently includes a technical stop in Vienna, extending flight times to approximately 19 hours outbound and 15 hours on the return leg. These longer routings increase fuel costs and operational complexity, with estimates suggesting the airspace ban will cost Air India $600 million over 12 months. The combination of these factors has made maintaining the Delhi-Washington route unsustainable in the short term.
To mitigate the impact on passengers, Air India is offering alternative travel arrangements for those booked on flights beyond September 1, 2025. Customers will be contacted and provided options for rebooking on one-stop flights to Washington, D.C., via U.S. gateways such as New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, or San Francisco, in partnership with interline carriers Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. These itineraries ensure seamless travel with through-checked baggage. Air India will also continue operating non-stop flights to six other North American destinations, including Toronto and Vancouver, unaffected by the suspension. Full refunds are available for those preferring not to rebook. The suspension follows a challenging period for Air India, marked by a tragic crash of a Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad in June 2025, which claimed 260 lives and prompted heightened regulatory scrutiny and additional safety inspections across the fleet. These inspections, combined with a voluntary “safety pause,” have further strained the airline’s operations. While Air India has not specified a restart date for the Delhi-Washington route, the decision will hinge on aircraft availability and potential resolution of the Pakistan airspace restrictions. For now, the suspension underscores the broader operational and geopolitical challenges facing the airline as it navigates its ambitious transformation plan.