Air India Is On The Virge Of Scrapping 02 Major Long Distance Air Route.

December 2025: Air India, a Star Alliance Member, is making significant changes to its International Flights while confirming that its ultra-long-haul services from Bengaluru and Mumbai will end in February 2026, being subjected to suffer from the consequences of the continued inability to overfly Russian and Pakistani airspace. The Carrier will now only have one route to San Francisco. However, because of the cuts, its frequency from Delhi to the California airport will rise from daily to 10 times a week. It is doubling down on its primary hub.

Ceding the Bengaluru – San Francisco Flights – Air India began the route amid the pandemic in 2021, which was a very odd time to launch such a long and expensive offering. On a great circle distance basis, the Boeing 777-200LR flights between Bengaluru to San Francisco cover a staggering 7,561 nautical miles (14,003 kilometres) each way. Low demand meant frequencies were quickly reduced, with the route suspended in March 2022. The start of the Russia-Ukraine war and the inability to overfly Russian airspace influenced it. Flights returned in December 2022.

Bengaluru to San Francisco flights connect the two major IT and tech cities across the farthest corners of the world. This contributed not just to traffic levels but also to very high fares, which reflected strong premium traffic. During October 2024 to October 2025, booking data reveals that 156,000 round-trip passengers flew between the two cities. Three-quarters of people chose not to fly Air India. When all carriers, cabins, and airlines are included, they paid an average of $1,600 each way. No wonder United Airlines was keen to fly to Bengaluru.

Indian air operators were banned from flying through Pakistani airspace in early 2025. A particularly notable consequence of this was that flights had to stop to refuel in Kolkata. However, Flightradar24 data since early December indicates that San Francisco-bound flights have stopped landing in Delhi, instead, while they’ve stopped in either Kolkata or Vienna on the way back.

Ceding the Mumbai – San Francisco Flights – Air India launched the first nonstop service from Mumbai to San Francisco in December 2022. For much of the time, the 777-200LR operated nonstop, primarily four times a week.

What impacted Air India’s Bengaluru flights also impacted Mumbai’s operations. When the brand-new route started three years ago, the block time back to Mumbai was usually 16 hours 40 minutes. The impact of avoiding Russian and Pakistani airspace meant flights had to stop en route home, increasing the scheduled time to a huge 20 hours or so.

While Air India’s schedule submission to OAG and Cirium Diio indicates a stop in Kolkata back to Mumbai, Flightradar24 shows that it isn’t always the case. Sometimes it refuels in Vienna, with the 777-300ER now being used. The route’s final flight will be on February 28th 2026.

Increasing Delhi – San Francisco Flights To Ten Weekly – Due to Bengaluru and Mumbai flights being ceded, Air India has increased Delhi-San Francisco services from daily to ten times a week (07 To 10/ Week). This takes effect from the first week of March. It’ll return to the frequency last available in June 2025.

Flights will continue to operate nonstop to San Francisco but stop in Kolkata en route back to Delhi. It must have worked out that it is worth it, given the reduced capacity, that Delhi is its main hub, and that it wants to still serve the California city. Many passengers will connect in Delhi to reach Bengaluru and Mumbai.

In the first week of March, it’ll have a daily operation from San Francisco to Delhi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Two daily flights will exist on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On those three days, the block time back to its primary hub will be up to 20 hours and 45 minutes.

Team Maverick.