Air India eyes rollback of West Asia flight cuts as crisis eases, fuel softens

CEO Campbell Wilson signals restoration of curtailed international services as tensions ebb. Retrofitted 787s drive NPS to +43 from -31 and satisfaction to 4.1/5. New routes: Mumbai-Haneda, Navi Mumbai-Abu Dhabi, Guwahati-Gulf, Pune-Amritsar.

— Source publishedFri, 26 Jun, 2026, 21:08 IST·First seen Fri, 26 Jun, 2026, 21:11 IST·Source BL · Consumer & Economy

What happened

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson signals possible rollback of international schedule cuts as West Asia tensions ease and fuel prices drop. Retrofitted 787s lift

Key facts

  • 1,200 international flights/month
  • NPS +43 vs -31
  • satisfaction 4.1/5 vs 2.7
  • 86% OTP
  • 90% domestic OTP
  • 8 widebody aircraft

Why this matters

Air India's aggressive route rebuild—Haneda, Abu Dhabi, Gulf, and domestic tier-2 links—plus retrofitted widebodies positions it to pressure incumbents on premium long-haul share.

What to watch

  • Brent crude sustained below $75/bbl
  • Iranian/Iraqi airspace reopening notices
  • IndiGo's international widebody wet-lease announcements
  • DGCA slot allocations for Navi Mumbai launch
  • Q3 load factor data on restored West Asia routes
  • Lock fuel hedges at current softened prices to protect FY26 unit economics
  • Accelerate 787 retrofit completion to lock in NPS gains before competitive response
  • Pre-sell Mumbai-Haneda and Navi Mumbai-Abu Dhabi inventory via corporate channels
  • Negotiate slot pairs at Haneda and Abu Dhabi before IndiGo bids

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