Will Air India reduce international flights: What Airlines said in its announcement?
New Delhi: Air India, the airline subsidiary of the Tata Group, has announced a reduction in its international flights amidst surging aviation fuel prices and ongoing airspace restrictions in the Middle East.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the airline stated that it would rationalize its flight operations on select international routes during the period from June to August. It attributed this decision to the "combined impact of several factors," chief among them being the continued airspace restrictions in certain regions—stemming from the Middle East crisis—and aviation fuel prices reaching record-high levels.
The airline further stated that, between June and August, it would operate over 1,200 international flights each month. The objective behind these adjustments is to maintain network stability and to prevent last-minute inconveniences for passengers.
Air India announced that, from June through August, it would operate 33 weekly flights to North America, 47 to Europe, 57 to the UK, 8 to Australia, 158 to the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the SAARC region, and 7 to Mauritius.
The company added that it would assist passengers who have already booked their tickets in securing seats on alternative flights.
Notably, aviation fuel prices are currently at record-high levels due to the crisis in the Middle East. While the government has imposed a monthly cap of 25 percent on price hikes for aviation fuel used in domestic flights, this relief has not been extended to international flights.