Air India has significantly reduced its flight schedule to Canada in response to soaring jet fuel prices, CEO Campbell Wilson announced in an internal memo verified by The Canadian Press. The airline has cut flight volumes for April and May, with plans for additional schedule trims in June and July.
"This is in response to the massive rise in jet fuel prices which, together with airspace closures and longer flying routes, has caused many of our international flights to become unprofitable to operate," Wilson said in the memo. The executive acknowledged that while Air India has increased airfares and imposed fuel surcharges to offset costs, higher prices reduce customer demand.
Toronto travellers have been hit particularly hard. The number of round-trip Air India flights scheduled between Toronto and Delhi fell to 31 in May compared to 48 in March, representing a 35 per cent decrease according to aviation data tracker Cirium. Service from Vancouver has also been slashed, dropping to approximately five flights per week from daily service earlier in the year.
The cutbacks reflect broader industry pressures. Jet fuel prices have climbed to nearly double pre-conflict levels, driven by the Iran conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked off Persian Gulf energy exports. Dozens of airlines have responded by hiking prices, scrapping flights, and grounding planes.
Canadian travellers are facing steeper ticket costs. Average round-trip economy fares between Canada and Delhi jumped 24 per cent year-over-year to $1,963 by late April, according to travel search site Kayak. This increase far outpaces the 11 per cent rise for international flights overall.
The impact falls heavily on Toronto's Indian-Canadian community. Some 1.4 million residents of Indian descent call Canada home, with India being the leading source of immigration according to the 2021 census. Air Canada continues to offer daily flights to Delhi from Toronto, though the airline halted direct service from Vancouver during the COVID-19 pandemic.
