International Airline Cancels Nonstop Service From VA Airport

DULLES, VA — Starting on Sept. 1, travelers will no longer be able to fly nonstop between Dehli and Washington, D.C. on Air India, reports say.

"The suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India’s fleet, as the airline commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month," according to an Air India release. "This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least end of 2026. That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline’s long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity."

The airline will contact customers who have already booked post-Sept. 1 travel arrangements to or from Washington, D.C. and help book alternative travel arrangements or provide full refunds, depending on the customer's preference, the company says. The airline announced the suspension of service on Aug. 11.

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"Air India customers will continue to have the options of one-stop flights to Washington, D.C. via four U.S. gateways – New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco – with the airline’s interline partners, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination," the company says.

Customers will still be able to travel nonstop on Air India between India and six destinations in North America, including Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, the airline says.

In the D.C. area, travelers can still book Air India flights from Washington Dulles International Airport. The airline does not fly to or from either Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport or Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.