AI to cut international flights

The national carrier has also decided to reduce 10% of its domestic capacity.

Even as Indian carriers are vying for a piece of the international space for better future gains, national carrier Air India has decided to cut down more than 15 of its international flights to destinations like Los Angeles, London, Osaka and Seoul from next month.

The decision was taken in a series of board meetings held on route rationalisation held last Saturday and Sunday. Apart from reworking its international operations, the national carrier also decided to cut down 10 per cent of its domestic capacity.

When asked about the cut in flights, a company spokesperson said: “We are definitely reworking some schedules — domestic and international.” The spokesperson, however, did not reveal how many flights would be cut and which routes would be affected.

Sources close to the development said three weekly flights to Los Angeles from various Indian destinations would be taken off the route network. Apart from that, four weekly flights each to Seoul and Osaka would be discontinued.

“Moreover, the flights to London are also being reworked. Air India has around 26 flights operating to and through London. Of these, around seven flights terminating in London will be removed. However, there is some reworking of schedule also. For instance, its Delhi-New York-London flight will now directly go to London. Also, the carrier’s Mumbai-Paris-Newark flight will be routed through London and not through Paris,” said a source.

The source added dismal load factors combined with lower yields had forced the carrier to rework its operations.

The national carrier has also been decreasing its flights on the West Asian sector, which was considered a cash cow accounting for nearly half of its revenues from international operations two years earlier.

Air India has brought down the number of flights to Dubai to 15, from the earlier 40. It has also decreased its flights to destinations like Bahrain and Muscat. Most of the Gulf routes have now been taken over by its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express.