Air India shifts long-haul routes to Mumbai and expands fleet in major network overhaul

Air India is shifting a larger share of its Europe and United States flight capacity from Delhi to Mumbai as part of a major strategic realignment of its international network, chief executive officer Tewolde Gebremariam announced at the Aviation India Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

The national carrier is actively reshaping its route operations to maximize efficiency while advancing plans to transform India into a premier global aviation hub. Under the updated network structure, West-bound services will increasingly operate out of Mumbai, while Delhi will serve as the primary gateway for expanding routes into East and South-East Asia.

Strategic hub deployment

To strengthen its long-haul footprint, Air India is also evaluating Bengaluru as a potential third international hub alongside Delhi and Mumbai. Speaking at the industry summit, Gebremariam pointed to India's advantageous geographical location, robust economic growth, vibrant diaspora, and large youth demographic as key pillars supporting the nation's emergence as a central international transit hub.

Connecting traffic through India currently accounts for 10 per cent of the airline's passenger volume, with management targeting long-term growth towards 50 per cent as global connectivity expands.

Network adjustments and route efficiency

Alongside the capacity reallocation to Mumbai, Air India has streamlined several non-core international routes to optimise operational reliability. The airline ended four weekly flights between Delhi and Vienna, as well as services between Delhi and Copenhagen. Long-haul connections from Amritsar to London Gatwick and from Delhi to Birmingham have also been paused, while flights to Newark are scheduled to resume in January 2027.

Domestically, the carrier has systematically transferred select point-to-point routes to its low-cost arm, Air India Express, including connections from Delhi to Goa and Mumbai to Jamnagar. The operational integration allows the primary full-service carrier to concentrate on core intercontinental corridors.

Fleet expansion and profitability focus

To support its long-term market share objectives against overseas carriers, Air India intends to expand its widebody aircraft orders beyond its existing commitments. The airline currently has 80 widebody jets on order — comprising 50 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs — as part of a broader 570-aircraft order book placed following its privatisation.

Management has established dedicated cross-functional teams to streamline operating expenditure and bring down cost per available seat kilometre. Gebremariam emphasized that operational discipline and close synergy between Air India and Air India Express will underpin the airline's drive toward sustainable profitability.