Air India suspends Delhi-Washington flights due to plane shortages, Pakistan airspace ban

AIR India will suspend services between New Delhi and Washington, D.C. from September due to aircraft shortages caused by upgrades to its Boeing planes and as Pakistan's airspace ban for Indian carriers affects its international routes.

AI Brief

Air India paused direct Washington-Delhi flights due to aircraft retrofitting and limited fleet availability.
Pakistan's airspace closure and US-India trade tensions under Trump add pressure to long-haul operations.
Travelers can reroute via partner airlines through major US cities like New York and Chicago.

The suspension will mean there are no flights between the two capital cities by an Indian airline, and comes amid rising tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's high tariffs on Indian imports.

Air India, acquired by the Tata Group from the government in 2022, said on Monday that 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft were being retrofitted to enhance customer experience, which would reduce aircraft availability until at least the end of 2026.

"The suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India's fleet," it said in a statement. "That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline's long-haul operations."

India and Pakistan closed their airspaces to each other days after relations nosedived following a fatal attack on civilians in Indian Kashmir. New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the attack, which Islamabad denies.

Air India sees Pakistan's airspace ban costing it $600 million over 12 months, Reuters has previously reported.

The suspension of Washington-Delhi flights also comes as Air India faces heightened regulatory scrutiny after a June crash of one of its Boeing planes in Ahmedabad killed 260 people.

Air India said passengers would have the option to choose flights to Washington, D.C., with layovers in New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco with the airline's partners Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.