Air India cancels, reduces Chennai flights; rising fuel costs blamed

CHENNAI: Air India has reduced or suspended services on several domestic and international routes from Chennai, citing rising aviation fuel costs, causing inconvenience to passengers and affecting connectivity to key destinations.

The airline has either cancelled or reduced flights connecting Chennai with destinations including Andaman, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Singapore, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Sharjah, Dammam and Kuala Lumpur. Air India said services would be increased again once operating conditions improve.

According to an Air India spokesperson, rising fuel prices have impacted the airline's operations, forcing it to rationalise services on several routes. The carrier said affected passengers are being accommodated on alternative flights, allowed to change travel dates without penalties, or offered full refunds.

Air India cuts services

Chennai Airport, one of South India's busiest aviation hubs, has witnessed a gradual reduction in Air India services in recent years. On several routes, Air India services were first shifted to Air India Express before being discontinued altogether.

The Chennai-Andaman sector has been among the worst affected. Earlier, Air India and Air India Express together operated seven departures and seven arrivals daily. At present, neither airline operates flights on the route.

Air India Express has also discontinued its two daily Chennai-Tiruchirappalli services, while Air India's Chennai-Coimbatore flights have been withdrawn. Additional Chennai-Madurai services announced under the 2025 summer schedule have yet to be introduced.

International operations have also been scaled back, with services to destinations such as Singapore, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Sharjah, Dammam and Kuala Lumpur either reduced or suspended.

Other routes affected

Apart from Air India's network changes, some regional routes have also seen a decline in services.

SpiceJet has announced the suspension of its Chennai-Shivamogga service from June to September. Flight frequencies on the Chennai-Thoothukudi route have fallen from 12 daily services operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet to eight flights a day.

Similarly, the number of flights between Chennai and Salem has been reduced from four daily services to two, despite growing passenger demand.

Passenger concerns

Passengers have expressed concern over the gradual reduction in direct connectivity from Chennai to both domestic and international destinations. They also pointed to frequent delays and occasional last-minute cancellations by some airlines, particularly on routes operated by Air India Express.

However, Air India denied neglecting Chennai Airport and said the current disruptions were driven by operational challenges linked to fuel costs. The airline said it was closely monitoring the situation and expected conditions to improve after August, when services could be reviewed and expanded based on demand.