What is the story about?
Air India is set to expand its domestic and short-haul international network with the introduction of 174 additional weekly flights starting from October 26, 2025. Under its Northern Winter Schedule, the TATA-owned carrier is looking to strengthen connectivity between major Indian cities and popular destinations in Southeast Asia, while improving access to key tier-2 and tourist cities across the country.
While announcing the expanded schedule, the carrier announced said that it the rising passenger demand in both domestic and regional markets ahead of the winter travel season is the reason behind the expansion of the routes.
It is increasing its Delhi-Kuala Lumpur flights from seven to ten per week from November 15, while services on the Delhi-Denpasar (Bali) route will increase from seven to 10 weekly flights from December 1.
Also read | Air India expands UK services, adds fourth daily Delhi-London flight in winter 2025 schedule
On domestic routes, Air India is ramping up connectivity across Rajasthan, a key tourism hub. New flights will be introduced between Delhi and Jaipur with three daily services, while Delhi-Jaisalmer will now be served twice daily. The Delhi-Udaipur route will expand from two to three flights per day. Additionally, Mumbai will see increased frequency to Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, boosting access during the peak tourist months.
Other states that will benefit from the winter expansion including Madhya Pradesh as the airline will increase its Delhi-Indore service from three to four daily flights, while adding new frequencies on the Delhi-Bhopal and Mumbai-Indore routes. In Gujarat, key regional connections like Mumbai-Bhuj and Delhi-Rajkot will see their flight frequencies double.
Several other cities are part of the expanded network, including Varanasi, Raipur, Port Blair, Aurangabad, Guwahati, Nagpur, Dehradun, Patna, and Amritsar, offering greater options for travellers across the country.
Also read | Air India starts direct flights to Manila from Delhi, unveils ₹1,000 crore pilot training centre
The airline said that the capacity expansion is being undertaken due to improvement in its fleet, noting that its ongoing retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft have almost completed. Launched in September 2024, the airline's retrofit programme has already upgraded 26 out of 27 legacy aircraft, fitting them with modern cabin interiors across three business, premium economy and economy class.
"Air India's retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft, launched in September 2024, is nearing completion this month. Of the 27 legacy A320neo aircraft, 26 have been retrofitted with brand-new cabin interiors featuring three classes: Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Combined with other modern single-aisle aircraft, Air India now operates over 100 A320 Family aircraft with world-class cabin interiors, delivering a significantly enhanced travel experience on more than 80 domestic and short-haul international routes,” a release from the airline mentioned.
While announcing the expanded schedule, the carrier announced said that it the rising passenger demand in both domestic and regional markets ahead of the winter travel season is the reason behind the expansion of the routes.
It is increasing its Delhi-Kuala Lumpur flights from seven to ten per week from November 15, while services on the Delhi-Denpasar (Bali) route will increase from seven to 10 weekly flights from December 1.
Also read | Air India expands UK services, adds fourth daily Delhi-London flight in winter 2025 schedule
On domestic routes, Air India is ramping up connectivity across Rajasthan, a key tourism hub. New flights will be introduced between Delhi and Jaipur with three daily services, while Delhi-Jaisalmer will now be served twice daily. The Delhi-Udaipur route will expand from two to three flights per day. Additionally, Mumbai will see increased frequency to Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, boosting access during the peak tourist months.
Other states that will benefit from the winter expansion including Madhya Pradesh as the airline will increase its Delhi-Indore service from three to four daily flights, while adding new frequencies on the Delhi-Bhopal and Mumbai-Indore routes. In Gujarat, key regional connections like Mumbai-Bhuj and Delhi-Rajkot will see their flight frequencies double.
Several other cities are part of the expanded network, including Varanasi, Raipur, Port Blair, Aurangabad, Guwahati, Nagpur, Dehradun, Patna, and Amritsar, offering greater options for travellers across the country.
Also read | Air India starts direct flights to Manila from Delhi, unveils ₹1,000 crore pilot training centre
The airline said that the capacity expansion is being undertaken due to improvement in its fleet, noting that its ongoing retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft have almost completed. Launched in September 2024, the airline's retrofit programme has already upgraded 26 out of 27 legacy aircraft, fitting them with modern cabin interiors across three business, premium economy and economy class.
"Air India's retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft, launched in September 2024, is nearing completion this month. Of the 27 legacy A320neo aircraft, 26 have been retrofitted with brand-new cabin interiors featuring three classes: Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Combined with other modern single-aisle aircraft, Air India now operates over 100 A320 Family aircraft with world-class cabin interiors, delivering a significantly enhanced travel experience on more than 80 domestic and short-haul international routes,” a release from the airline mentioned.
Do you find this article useful?
