Air India slashes flights to Canada amid soaring jet fuel prices

A man is silhouetted against an airport window with Air India aircraft parked in the background in New Delhi, India, Oct. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

MONTREAL — Air India is slashing its flight schedule due to soaring jet fuel prices, leaving Canadian residents hoping to visit the subcontinent with fewer options and higher fares.

In a message to staff reported by multiple Indian news outlets, CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline has cut flight volumes for April and May, with plans for more schedule trims in June and July.

Cirium, an aviation data tracker, shows that the number of round-trip Air India flights scheduled between Toronto and Delhi fell to 31 in May versus 48 in March, a 35 per cent decrease.

Trips from Vancouver to Delhi have dropped to about five per week versus daily flights earlier in the year.

The long flights demand heavy fuel consumption, prompting India’s flagship carrier to pull back as fuel prices hover close to double the rate from before the Iran conflict, which choked off Persian Gulf energy exports.

Some 1.4 million residents of Indian descent call Canada home, according to the 2021 census, with India the leading source of immigration.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2026.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press