Air India Cuts Flights to Canada

Image: Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Photo Credit: hodim / Adobe Stock)
Image: Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Photo Credit: hodim / Adobe Stock)
Jen Mallia
by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 12:15 PM ET, Mon May 11, 2026

As airlines grapple with surging fuel costs, Air India has made cuts to its Canadian schedules. Data from Cirium indicates that there were 48 Air India flights between Canada and India in March 2026, but only 31 scheduled for May, a decrease of 35 percent. The direct flights between Delhi and Toronto have been cut from 10 weekly to seven, and flights between Delhi and Vancouver trimmed from seven weekly flights to five. More cuts are expected in June and July unless prices stabilize.

In an internal memo verified by the Canadian Press, CEO Campbell Wilson wrote that the schedule cuts are in response to the “massive rise in jet fuel prices which, together with airspace closures and longer flying routes” which have led to many of Air India’s international flights becoming unprofitable to operate. 

"To partially compensate for the huge spike in costs, we have increased airfares and imposed fuel surcharges,” says Wilson. “Understandably, these higher airfares impact customer demand, so we can only raise fares so far before people decide to stay home."

According to Kayak, average round-trip economy fares on trips between Canada and Delhi jumped 24 percent year over year to $1,963 by late April. This increase is much steeper than the 11 percent average increase seen in international air fares in general.

Despite making cuts elsewhere, Air Canada continues to operate its daily flights between Toronto and Delhi. 



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Jen Mallia

Jen Mallia

Senior Editor

Jen Mallia is an Edmonton-based writer, editor, and Oxford comma apologist. She is a former senior editor of the CAA/AMA Insider magazines and has written for a host of publications, including The Globe and Mail. National Post, The Guardian, Today's Parent, and InStyle. 

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