Air India: reduced flights from Delhi to Milan until September
After weeks of cancellations and reductions following the tragic crash of flight AI171 on June 12, 2025, Air India [...]
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After weeks of cancellations and reductions following the tragic crash of flight AI171 on June 12, 2025, Air India has begun the gradual resumption of international routes operated with its Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft.
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However, the return to full operation will be slow and will still affect many of the long-haul routes, including the route to Italy, for several months.
Fewer flights between Delhi and Milan Malpensa
For Italian passengers-and particularly those flying from Milan to India or stopping over in Delhi on their way to other destinations in Asia-the news is not encouraging: the frequency of Air India flights between Delhi and Milan Malpensa has been reduced from 7 to 4 flights per week since June, and has dropped further to 3 flights per week from yesterday, July 16, 2025, with this reduction expected at least until the end of September.
The route, operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliner, is a major axis between Italy and India and is also a convenient option for those flying from Milan to destinations such as Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore or Sydney, taking advantage of Air India's extensive Asian network via Delhi hub. The reduction in frequencies will therefore also impact connecting passengers, who may be forced to seek alternative solutions or face long waits at the airport.
The context: precautionary controls and aircraft shortage
It all started with the incident that occurred in Ahmedabad, India, last June 12., when an Air India Boeing 787 was involved in a serious technical event. While the investigation is ongoing, the Indian Civil Aviation Authority (DGCA) ordered precautionary checks on the airline's entire Dreamliner fleet, causing an operational slowdown that led to the cancellation of about the 15% of intercontinental flights. in the month of June.
This difficulty is also compounded by longer flight times to Europe and North America due to the need to avoid the airspace of some geopolitically sensitive areas, as well as one less aircraft available due to the accident and another one earmarked for full maintenance work.
Gradual return to normalcy
Air India has announced a gradual recovery of international programming, with a first step in place since the August 1, 2025 and the goal of returning to full operation by the Oct. 1. Some priority routes-such as Delhi-London Heathrow and Delhi-Tokyo Haneda-will see a return to pre-cut frequencies, but The route to Milan will remain penalized until September, at least according to the official announcement.
What alternatives for Italian passengers?
For those flying between Italy and India in the summer, the most direct alternative to Air India remains Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad or Turkish Airlines, which offer connections via the Middle East. However, even in these cases, the connections may be less convenient in terms of time than Air India direct, especially for those who plan to continue to Asian destinations.
Air India, for its part, has not clarified whether it is proceeding with the automatic reprotection of passengers on other companies or whether affected travelers should seek alternative solutions on their own.
In conclusion
Summer 2025 will be a test for Air India, which is committed to gradually restoring international connections suspended after a dramatic event. The Delhi-Milan Malpensa route will remain partially affected until at least the end of September, creating inconvenience both for those traveling between Italy and India and for those continuing eastward.
The advice for those with bookings coming in or planning to fly with Air India at this time is to Constantly monitor operational updates and check the status of your flight.
