The latest cuts affect Delhi-Birmingham and Delhi-Vienna, adding to the previously announced withdrawal of Delhi-Copenhagen and Amritsar-London Gatwick. The changes will remove nonstop links to three European countries from the airline’s schedule.
Air India’s four-times-weekly Delhi-Vienna service is scheduled to end on October 31, while three-times-weekly Delhi-Birmingham flights will be withdrawn from November 4. The Delhi-Copenhagen and Amritsar-London Gatwick routes are scheduled to end from October 25, according to published schedule information.
The Amritsar-Birmingham service is also at risk, with reports indicating a possible temporary suspension for the winter season. Its status should be distinguished from the confirmed timetable cancellations, as bookings have reportedly remained available.
The Vienna withdrawal will end the only nonstop air link between India and Austria. Vienna will nevertheless continue to appear on selected Air India itineraries as a technical stop on flights connecting North America with India, rather than as a regular Delhi-Vienna service.
The cuts come after a wider round of adjustments announced earlier this year due to skyrocketing jet fuel prices. Between June and August, Air India temporarily suspended or reduced services on several international routes, including Delhi-Newark and Mumbai-New York JFK. European frequencies were also cut on routes such as Delhi-Paris, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-Zurich and Delhi-Rome. Services between Delhi and Vienna were previously reduced before the route’s planned withdrawal.
Other adjustments included reductions on Delhi-Melbourne, Delhi-Sydney and Singapore services. These earlier changes demonstrate that the winter timetable cuts are part of a broader network review rather than an isolated European decision.
Higher jet fuel costs and restrictions on using certain airspace have increased operating costs and extended flight times on some international services. Air India cited these pressures when announcing its earlier network rationalization.
The airline is also reallocating capacity rather than cutting everywhere. Delhi-Sydney is set to increase from seven to 11 weekly flights, while a new four-times-weekly Delhi-Osaka service is scheduled for a start in February 2027.
