Air India and IndiGo restore most suspended international routes for winter per Cirium data; Chicago and Ho Chi Minh City are the exceptions. Full route list.
Cover image: Air India Airbus A320neo climbing after takeoff — photo by Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Air India and IndiGo are putting most of their suspended international flying back on sale for the winter season, ending a summer of cuts triggered by expensive jet fuel after the US-Iran and wider West Asia conflict. Aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the bulk of the paused routes returning in winter schedules, with two notable exceptions: Air India will not resume Chicago, and IndiGo will not resume Ho Chi Minh City, according to Firstpost's September 9 analysis of the airlines' filings.
The restoration matters for Indian travellers because the two carriers reshaped overseas flying in May, calling the changes temporary and promising an early reversal if fuel prices eased. The conflict lasted longer than expected and oil stayed high, so the cuts bit through the July to September period. Winter is when the reversal lands, and the route-by-route detail now leaking into schedules tells passengers exactly which flights are back.
Which Air India international flights are back?
North America gets the biggest rebuild. Chicago remains suspended, a route Air India once served daily at its busiest. San Francisco climbs back to 10 times weekly, Toronto becomes non-stop on the back of new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Vancouver returns to daily, and Mumbai to New York JFK is restored to daily. Newark is the odd one out: temporarily boosted to daily during the disruption, it now scales back to 3 times weekly, while Delhi to Newark operates 4 times weekly.
Europe follows a similar pattern of near-full restoration at slightly lower frequencies. Paris from Delhi holds at 1 daily instead of 2, while Copenhagen goes 4 times weekly, Milan daily, Rome 4 times weekly, Zurich 5 times weekly and Vienna 4 times weekly. Each of these cities had been cut when fuel costs spiked, and each is now restored or increased for winter.
What is IndiGo changing for winter?
IndiGo is making a structural exit at the same time. The airline is leaving damp-leased widebody flying behind, with all such aircraft returning to Norse Atlantic by the end of October. At its peak the arrangement took IndiGo to Copenhagen, Manchester, London Heathrow and Amsterdam. Amsterdam survives on the airline's own XLR aircraft; the other routes are cancelled. Notably, IndiGo had already left Copenhagen before the fuel shock, a hint that Pakistan's airspace closure was hurting those sectors independently.
In Southeast Asia the picture is brighter. IndiGo cancelled Langkawi, Krabi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Shanghai; everything except Ho Chi Minh City is resuming. The airline has also announced Mumbai to Hanoi, its third India to Hanoi link alongside existing services, a useful data point for Vietnam-bound travellers tracked in our coverage of IndiGo's eastward expansion.
| Route | Winter status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | Restored | 10 times weekly |
| Toronto | Restored, upgraded | Non-stop on new 787-9 |
| Vancouver, Mumbai-JFK, Sydney | Restored | Daily each |
| Chicago | Not resuming | Was daily at peak |
| Paris Delhi | Restored, thinner | 1 daily, down from 2 |
| Melbourne | Increased | Up to 11 weekly on B777 |
| Shanghai | Reinstated | Plus higher SE Asia frequencies |
| Mumbai-Hanoi (IndiGo) | New | Third India-Hanoi link |
What about Australia and Southeast Asia?
Australia gets extra capacity rather than mere restoration. Melbourne moves to higher frequency and larger aircraft, up to 11 times weekly on the Boeing 777, while Sydney returns to daily. Qantas competes on both corridors, flying Delhi to Melbourne and Sydney to Bengaluru, so the added Air India seats should keep fares honest.
Across the Far East, Southeast Asia and SAARC, Air India had cancelled Shanghai, Chennai to Singapore, Mumbai to Dhaka and Delhi to Male, while thinning Delhi and Mumbai links to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Dhaka and Colombo. Shanghai is reinstated and frequencies rise on Delhi and Mumbai to Singapore and Bangkok, Delhi to Kuala Lumpur and Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City. Chennai to Singapore transfers to subsidiary Air India Express. Travellers to Taiwan may also note EVA Air's new Delhi-Taipei service from December, which adds a competing one-stop option to the US West Coast.
Does this mean the fuel crisis is over for airlines?
Not quite. Restoring flights is a bet that yields will cover still-elevated fuel, not proof that costs normalised. Both airlines are funding the rebuild differently: Air India leans on fresh capital and new widebodies as chairman N Chandrasekaran's costly rebuild continues, while IndiGo pairs restoration with the wet-lease exit and 60 Airbus A350s on order for delivery from late 2027. Rivals are adding winter capacity too, as SpiceJet's 20-aircraft wet-lease deal shows. For passengers, the practical takeaway is simple: check winter schedules now, because the cheapest restored seats on routes like San Francisco and Melbourne will sell first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Air India resuming Chicago flights?
No. Chicago is the one North American route Air India is not bringing back for winter, despite restoring San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, New York JFK and Newark to varying frequencies.
Is IndiGo resuming Ho Chi Minh City?
No. Ho Chi Minh City is the exception in IndiGo's Southeast Asia restart; Langkawi, Krabi, Hong Kong and Shanghai resume, and a new Mumbai to Hanoi service launches.
Why were the flights suspended?
Both airlines cut overseas flying from May after jet fuel prices surged following the US-Iran and West Asia conflict, with IndiGo extending cancellations across July to September. The airlines described the cuts as temporary from the start.
When do the restored flights operate?
The restoration shows in winter-season schedules, which typically start in late October. Frequencies above reflect filed winter plans reported on September 9 and remain subject to final slot confirmation.
