Air India has restructured its international network, ending or transferring eight major routes as part of its winter schedule adjustments and cost-management strategy. Three of the affected routes were to Europe, while several regional and Middle Eastern services have been handed over to its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express.

The airline ended its service to Vienna International Airport (VIE), where Delhi was the largest Indian market in 2025. It also stopped direct flights between Delhi and Copenhagen (CPH) in October 2026.

Its route from Delhi to Birmingham (DEL–BHX) ended earlier this month; while roughly 207,300 passengers travelled between Birmingham and India overall in 2025, the Delhi sector accounted for about 53,600 of those flyers.

In South India, Air India has completely withdrawn its mainline international operations from Chennai International Airport (MAA), having ended daily flights to Colombo (CMB) last year, discontinued Chennai–Dubai (MAA–DXB) in March 2026, and shifted Chennai–Singapore (MAA–SIN) to Air India Express, which resumed twice-daily flights on October 25. Other routes affected include Delhi–Riyadh (DEL–RUH), Hyderabad–Dubai (HYD–DXB), and Kochi–Dubai (COK–DXB), all of which have been replaced by Air India Express services.

The changes come amid rising jet fuel prices, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and Pakistan's airspace closure, which has forced Air India to take lengthy detours over the Arabian Sea. These pressures have driven up operating costs following a consolidated net loss of around $2.4 billion (₹22,238 crore) in the 2025–26 financial year.