Air India's New York-bound flights resume nonstop service amid airspace restrictions

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Air India's New York-bound flights resume nonstop service amid airspace restrictions

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Air India | Wikipedia

By Sky Industry News

May 21, 2025

The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan has led to both countries closing their airspace to each other's airlines, presenting significant operational challenges for Indian carriers. Air India, in particular, has been affected as it previously relied on Pakistani airspace for flights to various international destinations.

Due to the closure, Air India's flights to Europe and North America have faced delays, with many requiring a stopover in Europe for refueling. However, the airline's flights between India and New York have resumed nonstop service. These flights are now operated using Airbus A350 aircraft from Delhi and Boeing 777 planes from Mumbai.

Air India's flights from New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) are once again nonstop. The airline had previously rerouted these flights through Vienna due to the airspace restrictions but is now flying directly again, albeit over longer distances.

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The routes from New Delhi use the Airbus A350 aircraft, while those from Mumbai employ Boeing 777-300ER planes. These flights avoid Pakistani airspace by taking an alternative route that extends travel time to over 15-16 hours.

Not all of Air India's North American services have returned to normalcy. Flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) still require a stopover in Vienna for refueling. For instance, flight AI127 now involves an eight-hour journey to Vienna before proceeding to Chicago after a ground stop of about two hours. Similarly, the Delhi-Washington service uses a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and follows a similar pattern with a stop in Vienna.

Flights heading towards the western coast of North America remain unaffected as they bypass restricted airspaces by traveling eastward across China and the Pacific Ocean. This includes services to San Francisco and Vancouver.

The duration of Air India's direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to New York is as follows:

- Delhi-New York JFK: 16 hours 15 minutes

- Delhi-Newark: 16 hours 15 minutes

- Mumbai-New York JFK: 15 hours 15 minutes

- Mumbai-Newark: 15 hours 30 minutes

Air India's use of its Airbus A350 fleet on these long-haul routes highlights the aircraft's capability for extended range operations. Currently, Air India possesses six A350s and anticipates receiving an additional 44 aircraft, split equally between -900 and -1000 variants.

In recent years, Air India has expanded its fleet significantly with orders totaling 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus in 2023, including an order for 40 A350s which was later increased by ten more in 2024.