Air India will suspend its flights between New Delhi and Washington Dulles International Airport starting 1st September due to operational challenges.
The suspension is partly due to the airline’s response to the fatal crash of Flight AI 171, alongside ongoing fleet modernization efforts and airspace restrictions. Air India operates three flights per week on this route using Boeing 787-8 aircraft, but a retrofit program for 26 of these planes has begun, leading to a shortfall in available aircraft.
The closure of Pakistani airspace for Indian carriers has increased operational complexity, forcing airlines to reroute flights and raising costs.
Passengers will still have options for one-stop connections to Washington D.C. via other U.S. gateways, including Chicago and New York, through partnerships with airlines like Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
Air India shared, “This retrofit program, aimed at significantly enhancing the customer experience, requires the prolonged unavailability of several aircraft at any given time until at least the end of 2026. Despite the suspension of direct flights to Washington, D.C., passengers will have access to one-stop connections to the city via other U.S. gateways.”
