Air India has resumed non-stop flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to the US via Iraqi airspace, cutting travel time by 2-3 hours and eliminating the refuelling stop at Rome amid ongoing Middle East tensions.
Air India has resumed non-stop flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to the United States via Iraqi airspace, eliminating the technical refuelling halt at Rome. The arrangement remains in place for now but could change if regional disturbances arise amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, an airline source said.
The revised routing cuts travel time by around two to three hours, bringing journeys to approximately 18 hours from 21 hours for most US destinations. Air India operates four flights from the two cities, including two to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York and two to Newark Liberty International Airport.
“Since Iraqi airspace was shut, our ultra-long-haul flights to the US had to take a longer route, with a halt for refuelling at Rome” an airline source said.
Under the revised route, flights originating from Delhi fly over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq and Turkey before heading towards Europe and the US. Earlier, they travelled over Oman, Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia before stopping at Rome. Mumbai flights followed a similar route after crossing the Arabian Sea.
Confirming the change, an Air India official said, “We now have more flexibility in our route plans to Western nations due to the increasing options available in global airspace.”
The revised routing eliminates costs associated with the technical stop, including airport charges and crew support at the refuelling point. However, carrying additional fuel results in a slight payload penalty on the Airbus A350, limiting the passenger and cargo load, a source said. This partly offsets the operating cost benefits.
Air India currently operates 61 widebody aircraft: 26 Boeing 787-8s, 19 Boeing 777-300ERs, 10 Boeing 787-9s and six Airbus A350-900s. Of these, 27 have upgraded or refurbished cabins.
The airline expects its first Airbus A350-1000 by early December, with three deliveries targeted by March. Deployment routes have not been decided. Initial aircraft are expected to feature a three-class configuration, while subsequent deliveries will have four classes, including first-class suites. They will also feature new Recaro business-class seats, different from those on Air India’s existing A350-900s, sources said.
Air India also expects another factory-built Boeing 787-9 in January and an additional retrofitted 787-8 before the end of this year. By the end of calendar 2027, around 70% of its widebody fleet is expected to have upgraded cabins.