air india flight
Expensive jet fuel has broken the back of the Indian aviation sector and now its direct impact is visible on flight operations. Under the pressure of rising costs, Air India has decided to reduce about 100 flights daily. This deduction will be applicable on both domestic and international routes. There will be a major reduction in services especially on routes like Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore. Today i.e. on May 1, 2026, due to the increase in global oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the price of jet fuel (ATF) for international airlines has increased by US $ 76.55 per kiloliter.
The continuously increasing prices of jet fuel i.e. Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) has made it difficult for airlines to run operations. Due to this pressure, Air India has taken a big decision and decided to reduce about 100 flights daily. Currently, Air India operates around 1,100 flights daily, but there is a huge reduction in the June schedule, especially on international routes. Services will be reduced on major routes like Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore, where fuel costs are the highest. According to industry sources, continuous fluctuations in jet fuel prices have had a deep impact on the profits of airlines. The price of ATF in Delhi has almost doubled compared to March, due to which the operating cost has increased rapidly.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which includes IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, has already warned the government that services may have to be suspended if steps are not taken to reduce costs. Although the government had given some relief on domestic routes in April, no specific steps were taken for international operations. According to a senior Air India official, the airline is not able to recover its costs on many routes. In such a situation, cutting down on flights has become a compulsion. A major reason making the situation worse is the closure of Pakistani airspace. Due to this, flights going to Europe and North America have to take longer routes, due to which both fuel consumption and crew expenses have increased.
Air India suffered so much loss
There has been a huge jump in the prices of jet fuel even at the global level. By the end of April the average price reached $179.46 per barrel, which is about 80% higher than in February. Since fuel accounts for about 40% of the total cost of airlines, the increase in its prices has a direct impact on ticket prices and services. Air India has already suffered a loss of more than ₹20,000 crore. In such a situation, the pressure on Tata Group and Singapore Airlines to bring the airline out of losses is increasing.
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