Air India to halt Delhi-Washington flights from September 1 amid fleet retrofit, Pak airspace restrictions

Air India on Monday announced that it will suspend its non-stop services between Delhi and Washington, DC, effective September 1, citing operational constraints tied to its ongoing aircraft retrofit programme and continued international airspace closures.

The airline said the decision was necessary to protect the reliability and integrity of its long-haul route network. The move follows the start of an extensive $400 million retrofit project for 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which began last month. The upgrade work, aimed at delivering a significantly enhanced passenger experience, will keep multiple widebody aircraft out of service at any given time until at least the end of 2026.

Adding to the challenge is the continued closure of Pakistani airspace, which forces longer routings for certain flights, increasing both flying time and operational complexity for the carrier’s North American services.

“Given these constraints, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our Delhi-Washington service from September,” an Air India spokesperson said.

Customers with bookings on the route beyond that date will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including rebooking on other services or a full refund, according to the airline.

Travellers will still be able to reach Washington, DC with one-stop itineraries via Air India’s four US gateway cities – New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago and San Francisco — through interline partnerships with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. This will allow passengers to travel on a single ticket with baggage checked through to their final destination.

“Despite the suspension, Air India will maintain its non-stop flights between India and six other North American destinations, including Toronto and Vancouver in Canada,” the spokesperson added.