Air India eyes more foreign flights as Gulf crisis eases
Dhaka: Air India may restore some of the international flights it had suspended earlier due to the Middle East conflict, as easing regional tensions have reopened more airspace and brought down jet fuel costs, said local media reports on June 28, citing an internal memo from Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson.
Earlier, the airline had cut operations on several international routes between June and August this year because of airspace restrictions across the Middle East and elevated international jet fuel prices, which made detours to European and American destinations costlier.
Wilson's memo said even though the violence in the Middle East has eased, there is no guarantee it would not flare up again. The calmer environment has freed up more airspace and lowered fuel prices considerably. Hence, some of the recent schedule cuts could be reversed if the trend continues.
Air India said the earlier changes were meant to limit last-minute disruptions for passengers and preserve network stability, noting it still operates more than 1,200 international flights a month across five continents.
Wilson said the carrier expects eight more new or refurbished wide-body aircraft to join its fleet this year. Another Boeing 787-8 is being sent for retrofitting, while a new Boeing 787-9 is due to arrive in India this weekend.
The airline has also expanded its network with four weekly nonstop flights between Mumbai and Tokyo Haneda, complementing its existing daily service to the Japanese destination from Delhi.
According to Wilson, Air India Express will next month become the first carrier to operate a direct international passenger flight from Navi Mumbai International Airport to Abu Dhabi. The airline will also launch a Pune-Amritsar domestic service in August, alongside its first direct flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from Guwahati.
Wilson said June was Air India's strongest operational month, with overall on-time performance at 86 percent and domestic on-time performance hitting a record 90 percent.
He noted that this reflects continuous improvements in aircraft health, systems, and procedures, though it has also been aided somewhat by the temporarily reduced schedule and favorable weather.
