Air India and British Airways slash flights as fuel costs, airspace bans and Middle East tensions rise

Air India faced a flash strike by employees of ground‑handling firm AI Airport Services Limited at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on 18 May 2026, delaying at least 15 departures and forcing passengers to remain on aircraft for up to two hours. The disruption was resolved after management pledged to review staff demands.

Later in May, Air India announced a temporary rationalisation of its international network for June‑August 2026, citing record‑high jet‑fuel prices and continued airspace restrictions. The airline has been barred from Pakistani airspace since a military escalation between India and Pakistan, prompting longer, costlier routings. Seven long‑haul services – including Delhi‑Newark, Delhi‑Chicago, Delhi‑Shanghai, Delhi‑Male, Mumbai‑New York (JFK), Mumbai‑Dhaka and Chennai‑Singapore – were suspended, while frequencies on routes to Europe, North America and Australia were reduced.

British Airways also revised its summer schedule, cutting flights to seven Middle‑East destinations. Daily services to Dubai were trimmed from three to one, with similar reductions to Doha, Riyadh and Tel Aviv; flights to Bahrain and Amman were paused for the season, and the Jeddah route was permanently dropped. The airline said the changes respond to the ongoing conflict in Iran and broader regional instability.

IATA data shows that the Iran war has caused steep traffic declines for Middle‑Eastern carriers on key Asia‑Pacific corridors, with European and Asia‑Pacific airlines stepping in but not fully offsetting the loss. The combined effect of fuel spikes, airspace bans and regional conflict is forcing airlines to reshape schedules and bear financial strain.