After six years, Air India returns to fly to Rome Fiumicino

It took six years, but from March 25, 2026, Air India will add a second Italian destination to Milan Malpensa, connecting its main hub in Delhi with Rome Fiumicino four times a week.

Flights between the two metropolises had been disrupted by the Indian carrier with the Covid outbreak.

Air India is undergoing a (laborious) renewal of its long-haul fleet, with The entry of the Airbus A350-900s, which offer a completely revamped in-flight product and three classes of service (the Horizon Suites of Business, Premium Economy and Economy).

But at Rome (as, moreover, it is already doing at Milan) it will operate with the two-class Boeing 787-8, with 18 lie-flat seats in Business Class (2-2-2) and 238 seats in Economy (3-3-3).

 

From Rome will take off every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7 p.m. for an overnight flight that will land in Delhi at 9 a.m. the next morning. In the reverse direction, flights operate on the same days, but departing India at 1:15 p.m. and arriving in Italy at 6 p.m.

ITA Airways has also operated daily on the same route since December 2022. The Italian carrier regularly uses its new three-class A330-900s. (Business, Premium Economy and Economy), but occasionally over Delhi we have also seen the use of older (and dated) A330-200s. Delhi also saw the penultimate rotation of an A330-200 in regular service to ITA, when on Dec. 29 the last in-service unit (dedicated to Marco Pantani) made a rotation from Rome (returning to Fiumicino on the night of Dec. 30).

Air India and ITA will be alliance 'comrades' when the Italian airline joins Star Alliance during the first half of 2026 at which point it will be possible to fly between Rome and Delhi (and vice versa) and collect or spend points by flying with either airline.

• New Routes