These are the route launches, new Gulf services and long-haul cabin upgrades confirmed across Air India and Air India Express for May to August 2026, split into routes still to come and those already flying.
New Air India Summer 2026 Routes at a Glance
Upcoming routes (July–August 2026)
| Route / Change | Airline | Effective | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai → London (Heathrow) | Air India | 1 Jul 2026 | New cabin interiors (B787-9 / retrofit B787-8) |
| Delhi → Melbourne | Air India | 1 Jul 2026 | First Class introduced (B777-300ER) |
| Indore → Abu Dhabi | Air India Express | 15 Jul 2026 | New Gulf route |
| Lucknow → Abu Dhabi | Air India Express | 16 Jul 2026 | New Gulf route |
| Bengaluru → London (Heathrow) | Air India | 1 Aug 2026 | Premium Economy introduced (retrofit B787-8) |
| Delhi → Toronto | Air India | 1 Aug 2026 | Premium Economy on 7x weekly (new B787-9) |
| Guwahati → Dubai | Air India Express | 4 Aug 2026 | First NE India–UAE link |
| Guwahati → Abu Dhabi | Air India Express | 7 Aug 2026 | First NE India–UAE link |
Routes that have already started
| Route / Change | Airline | Effective | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi → Hanoi | Air India | 1 May 2026 | New route, 5x weekly |
| 11 new domestic routes | Air India Express | 1 May 2026 | Includes Pune–Bagdogra, Mumbai–Patna |
| Bengaluru → Dubai | Air India Express | 20 May 2026 | New Gulf route |
| Bengaluru → Doha | Air India Express | 2 Jun 2026 | New Gulf route |
| Mumbai → Tokyo (Haneda) | Air India | 15 Jun 2026 | New route, 4x weekly |
| Hyderabad → Abu Dhabi | Air India Express | 17 Jun 2026 | New Gulf route |
New International Routes: Hanoi and Mumbai–Tokyo
Air India added two new international routes for the summer, both confirmed in its 5 March 2026 network announcement.
Hanoi launched on 1 May as the airline’s second Vietnam gateway after Ho Chi Minh City, flown five times a week on the A320neo and supporting open-jaw trips.
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI2390 | Delhi → Hanoi | 01:20 | 07:20 | Mon / Wed / Fri / Sat / Sun |
| AI2391 | Hanoi → Delhi | 08:20 | 11:35 | Mon / Wed / Fri / Sat / Sun |
Mumbai–Tokyo (Haneda) followed on 15 June, a four-times-weekly service on the Boeing 787-8 alongside the existing Delhi–Tokyo flights. Onward connections from Haneda to six Japanese cities are available via Air India’s codeshare with All Nippon Airways.
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI356 | Mumbai → Tokyo (Haneda) | 16:50 | 04:55 (+1) | Mon / Wed / Fri / Sun |
| AI355 | Tokyo (Haneda) → Mumbai | 08:50 | 14:20 | Mon / Tue / Thu / Sat |
Search flights to Hanoi or flights to Tokyo on Wego to compare fares and dates.
Long-Haul Cabin Upgrades from July and August
On its existing long-haul network, the summer story is product rather than new city pairs, per Air India’s Northern Summer Schedule 2026 update.
From 1 July, two flagship routes change:
- Mumbai–London (Heathrow): new B787-9 and retrofitted B787-8 aircraft with all-new cabins replace the B777-300ER.
- Delhi–Melbourne: First Class arrives on a B777-300ER with 8 First suites, 40 flat-bed Business seats and 280 Economy seats, adding nearly 4,000 seats a month.
From 1 August, the upgrades widen further:
- Bengaluru–London (Heathrow): retrofitted B787-8 with new cabins introduces Premium Economy, meaning every Air India Heathrow flight now uses upgraded-cabin aircraft.
- Delhi–Toronto: 7 of the weekly flights move to new B787-9 aircraft with Premium Economy; the other 3x weekly stay on the B777-300ER.
- First Class is introduced on Birmingham flights from Amritsar and Delhi, and on London (Gatwick) flights from Ahmedabad and Amritsar, all moving to the B777-300ER.
Aircraft and cabins can change at short notice, so confirm the configuration for your specific flight when booking.
Air India Express: New Domestic and Gulf Routes
Low-cost arm Air India Express added 11 new domestic routes from 1 May 2026, strengthening metro and leisure links across the network.
- Pune–Bagdogra, the gateway to the Eastern Himalayas, flown 5x weekly and exclusive to Air India Express.
- Chennai–Bagdogra, plus Mumbai and Ahmedabad linked to Chandigarh and Dehradun.
- Mumbai–Patna, plus reinstated Delhi–Kochi and Hyderabad–Ranchi.
On the international side, Air India Express opened new Gulf services through the summer: Bengaluru–Dubai (20 May), Bengaluru–Doha (2 June), Hyderabad–Abu Dhabi (17 June), Indore–Abu Dhabi (15 July) and Lucknow–Abu Dhabi (16 July).
From August, it becomes the first airline to connect Northeast India directly with the UAE, with Guwahati–Dubai from 4 August and Guwahati–Abu Dhabi from 7 August.
Air India Express to Launch Direct Guwahati–Dubai and Abu Dhabi Flights from August 2026
You can compare Air India fares against other carriers on any of these routes by searching flights on Wego, or verify the latest timings on the Air India flight schedule page.
Sources
- Air India Newsroom — Air India expands Asia footprint with new routes to Vietnam and Japan (5 Mar 2026)
- Air India Newsroom — Air India upgrades product and customer experience on more international routes this summer (16 Feb 2026)
- Air India — Flight Schedule
- AeroRoutes — Air India Express NS26 Middle East Network Additions
- Deccan Herald — Air India Express adds 11 new routes, boosts metro connectivity
- Gulf News — Air India Express launches Guwahati–Dubai, Abu Dhabi flights from August 2026
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