Air India expands winter schedule with over 170 new weekly flights to boost domestic and Southeast Asia connectivity

Air India has announced a major expansion of its domestic and short-haul international operations, adding 174 weekly flights from October 26, 2025 as part of its Northern Winter Schedule. The airline said the move, is aimed at meeting rising travel demand during the busy winter season while strengthening connectivity between major Indian cities and key Southeast Asian destinations. According to Air India, all additional flights will be operated by its single-aisle Airbus A320 Family aircraft, which have recently undergone extensive cabin upgrades as part of its fleet modernisation drive.

Boost for Southeast Asia routes

Air India will increase capacity on high-demand routes to Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar (Bali), destinations that have seen strong year-round passenger traffic. From November 15, flights on the Delhi–Kuala Lumpur route will increase from seven to ten times a week, while the Delhi-Denpasar service will also grow to ten weekly flights from December 1. The airline said the move will offer greater flexibility for travellers and improve connectivity between India and two of Southeast Asia’s most popular tourism and business hubs.

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New routes and more flights across India

Domestically, Air India will launch new services from Delhi to Jaipur and Jaisalmer and increase frequencies on several existing routes across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, starting October 26.

In Rajasthan, the airline will introduce three daily flights between Delhi and Jaipur, and two daily flights on the Delhi–Jaisalmer route. Flights on Delhi–Udaipur, Mumbai–Jaipur, Mumbai–Udaipur, and Mumbai-Jodhpur routes will also see frequency increases.

Additional flights will be added across Madhya Pradesh, including Delhi–Indore, Delhi–Bhopal, and Mumbai–Indore, while Gujarat routes such as Mumbai–Bhuj and Delhi–Rajkot will see more daily services.

Beyond these, Air India will also add extra frequencies on routes linking Delhi to Varanasi, Raipur, Port Blair, Aurangabad, Guwahati, and Nagpur, as well as Mumbai to Dehradun, Patna, and Amritsar.

The expansion will strengthen air connectivity to Tier-II and Tier-III cities, catering to both tourism and business travel demand during the peak season.

Upgraded fleet to support network expansion

Air India's retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft, launched in September 2024, is nearing completion. The airline confirmed that 26 out of 27 aircraft have been upgraded with new three-class cabins, featuring Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy sections.

With this retrofit and the addition of newer aircraft, Air India now operates over 100 A320 Family aircraft with refreshed interiors across more than 80 domestic and short-haul international routes. The airline said the upgraded cabins, modern in-flight amenities and enhanced reliability would deliver a "significantly improved travel experience" for passengers.

The latest network expansion comes as part of Air India's wider transformation plan under the Tata Group, which aims to rebuild the airline's domestic and regional strength, improve service quality, and modernise its fleet.