Air India flight cuts are set to bite into international connectivity over the next two months, underlining how sharply rising jet fuel costs and war-related airspace curbs are squeezing India’s aviation sector.
Loss-making Air India will reduce several international services through June and July after surging aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and forced detours made many routes unprofitable, chief executive Campbell Wilson told employees in an internal note. The airline has already scaled back some flying in April and May, and now sees “no choice but to trim schedules in June and July” as conditions deteriorate, he said. Airspace restrictions linked to the conflict in West Asia have pushed flights on longer routes, increasing fuel burn and eroding already thin margins.
While Air India has not publicly detailed the exact number of flights or routes to be cut, Indian media reports suggest that close to 100 domestic and international services could be affected over the period. Wilson, who plans to step down later this year, has described the fuel and airspace situation as “extremely challenging” for the carrier.
The crisis extends beyond a single airline. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing carriers including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet, has warned the Civil Aviation Ministry that the industry is under “extreme stress” and “on the verge of closing down or of stopping its operations” due to ATF costs. According to the FIA, ATF pricing for international operations jumped by about ₹73 per litre in April, pushing fuel’s share of operating costs from around 30–40 per cent to 55–60 per cent.
05/05/2026 Shalabh Singh/Pune Times
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