Thursday, January 30, 2025
Delhi travelers, get ready! Air India is revamping its London routes for Summer 2025, adjusting flight frequencies to match demand and optimize efficiency.
Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) has unveiled significant revisions to its London flight schedule for the Northern Summer 2025 (NS25) season, adjusting flight frequencies on multiple routes between India and the United Kingdom.
These modifications, set to take effect in late March and early April 2025, are part of the airline’s broader strategy to realign its international operations in response to shifting passenger demand.
Air India is set to reduce the frequency of flights on this route from four to three per week. This adjustment suggests a recalibration based on demand trends, as the airline fine-tunes its services between Goa’s Mopa Airport and London Gatwick.
Despite this reduction, Goa remains a prime destination for UK travelers. Air India may further modify its flight schedules in response to seasonal demand fluctuations.
To accommodate growing demand, Air India will increase weekly flights between Amritsar and London Gatwick from three to four, effective from April 5, 2025.
This expansion highlights the strong travel demand between Punjab and the UK, driven largely by the sizable Punjabi diaspora in and around London. Amritsar remains a key hub for both leisure and VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) travel, and the additional flight will improve connectivity and convenience for passengers.
From March 30, 2025, Air India will discontinue its Kochi–London Gatwick route, severing direct air connectivity between Kerala and the UK.
The suspension is likely due to lower-than-expected profitability on this sector or a strategic shift to redeploy aircraft on more lucrative routes. Passengers traveling between Kochi and London will need to rely on alternative connections via major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru.
Air India currently operates flights to London Gatwick from four key Indian cities—Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi. These routes primarily serve VFR and leisure travelers, particularly from regions with a strong Indian expatriate presence in the UK.
Unlike major metro routes such as Delhi and Mumbai, which operate through London Heathrow, flights to Gatwick cater to price-sensitive travelers. Gatwick offers a cost-effective alternative for airlines and passengers alike, making it a strategic choice for routes with high VFR traffic.
Despite the current adjustments, Air India remains committed to expanding its international network under Tata Group’s leadership. Further changes to its UK and European routes may be introduced as part of its ongoing optimization strategy.
A significant challenge for Air India is its current aircraft shortage, which has already delayed planned expansions to key US destinations such as Los Angeles (LAX) and Dallas (DFW). This constraint has forced the airline to prioritize efficiency by reallocating capacity to higher-demand and higher-yielding routes.
As Air India continues to modernize and expand its fleet, additional network adjustments can be expected, ensuring optimal utilization of resources while catering to evolving passenger demand across global markets.
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