Air India is suspending its nonstop flights between Dulles International Airport and Delhi effective Sept. 1, citing a number of factors, including lingering effects from the recent military conflict with neighboring Pakistan and a shortage of aircraft.
Air India first launched the nonstop service from Dulles in July 2017 with three flights a week. Suspension of the flight, at least temporarily, ends what is one of the longest nonstop flights from Dulles Airport, averaging between 14.5 and 15 hours.
Air India said the decision was driven by a planned shortfall in its fleet. Last month, it announced plans to retrofit 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which will lead to a prolonged unavailability of multiple planes until at least the end of 2026. It also cited the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, affecting all of its long-haul flights by leading to longer routing.
The airline said it was contacting passengers booked for travel after Sept. 1 to offer alternative arrangements or full refunds. It will continue to have one-stop flights to Washington via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco, through its partners Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Delta.
Several U.S. and international carriers also offer one-stop flights from the D.C. area to Delhi, but none currently offer nonstop service.
Sabre Global Demand data has previously reported that the D.C. area is the fourth-largest overseas travel market for India. At the time of the nonstop flight’s inaugural service, leisure and business travel spending from the flight was expected to add $30 million in total annual economic impact to the D.C. region.
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Jeff Clabaugh
Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region’s economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.
