Every New India-International Route Launched in 2024-2026

A complete operator-by-operator map of every new international route from India launched between 2024 and 2026 — IndiGo, Air India, AI Express, Akasa.

Every New International Route from India Launched or Announced Between 2024 and 2026

By Aarav Sharma (Aarav Sharma covers Indian airline operations, airport infrastructure and route economics. He writes about Tier-1 and Tier-2 airport developments, IndiGo and Air India fleet strategy, and the unsung Indian aviation hubs travellers should know about.) · Published · 11 min read

The 24-month window between January 2024 and early 2026 produced the largest single wave of new international routes in Indian aviation history. Here is a structured operator-by-operator account of what launched, what was announced and what it means for fares.

Why 2024-2026 became Indian aviation's biggest international expansion window

Between January 2024 and early 2026, Indian carriers and foreign airlines together added more new international routes touching India than in any comparable 24-month period in the country's aviation history. Several structural factors converged: the Air India and Vistara merger consolidating Tata's wide-body fleet, IndiGo finalising its first wide-body order, AI Express absorbing AirAsia India and dramatically scaling up B737 MAX international ops, and Akasa Air receiving its first international AOC clearance. On the foreign side, Gulf and Southeast Asian carriers chased rising Indian outbound demand with new Tier-2 launches.

The DGCA approved over 70 new international scheduled services originating from India in this window, with a roughly even split between Indian and foreign operators. The pattern was decisively secondary-city focused. Where 2018-2022 launches concentrated on Delhi to Dubai style metro pairings, the 2024-2026 wave pushed into Lucknow, Coimbatore, Vizag, Bhubaneswar, Mangalore, Trichy and Calicut. Aircraft selection shifted too. The A321neo and B737 MAX 8 replaced wide-bodies on routes where 200 to 220 seats with cargo belly capacity is the right gauge.

For Indian travellers the practical impact is a measurable fare softening on Gulf and Southeast Asia routes, more frequency choices at family-friendly times, and shorter elapsed-times because the metro-transit penalty is increasingly avoidable. This article walks through every meaningful launch by operator and analyses what each says about where the market is going.

Air India — wide-body re-engagement and the merger consolidation

Air India in 2024 and 2025 reorganised its international map around the post-merger fleet. The headline launches included Air India's revived BOM-MEL non-stop on B777-300ER metal, the new DEL-DPS direct service to Bali on B787-9 equipment running daily, and the resumed DEL-ZRH and DEL-VIE European frequencies after a multi-year absence. Air India also returned DEL-OSL after route rationalisation and re-instated several thrice-weekly North American B777-300ER frequencies, notably to BOS and CHI.

The Bali launch is particularly significant. Air India had no Indonesia service for nearly a decade, and DEL-DPS on a B787-9 with full premium-economy cabin opens up a route that had been a connection-only journey through Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Fares cleared at 38,000 to 55,000 rupees economy in shoulder season, which compares competitively with two-stop alternatives. The cabin specifications matter — the newly delivered B787-9 fleet carries the new Air India product with proper IFE, USB-C charging and lie-flat business class.

The Melbourne resumption signals Tata's intent to anchor the Australia market with non-stop metal rather than ceding it to Singapore Airlines and Qantas one-stops. Frequencies started at four weekly and built towards daily. For Indian-origin travellers in Victoria, BOM-MEL non-stop trims the previous SIN or KUL transit out of an already-long journey. Air India also signalled DEL-MEL would follow once additional B777 capacity allowed, which materialised in late 2025.

Air India Express — the B737 MAX international land-grab

Air India Express, post the AirAsia India absorption and the unified AOC reorganisation, became the busiest Indian carrier in terms of new international launches in 2024-2026. The combined fleet crossed 110 aircraft including B737-800NG inherited from the legacy AI Express operation and B737 MAX 8 from the AirAsia India transfer plus new direct orders. The carrier added or expanded over 25 international city pairs in the period.

The most notable new routes included Delhi to Phuket direct, Bengaluru-Phuket and Hyderabad-Phuket as part of a broader Phuket push timed with the runway extension at HKT, plus the BLR-DPS Bali launch, BOM-PNH Phnom Penh (a market AI Express picked up that no other Indian carrier had touched in years), and IXC-DXB serving the Punjab catchment directly. Multiple Tier-2 to Gulf launches followed — VNS-DXB, IDR-SHJ, BBI-DXB, CJB-AUH, COK-AUH and TRV-RUH among others.

The strategic logic is clear. AI Express is positioning itself as India's dominant short-haul international LCC, competing with Gulf and Southeast Asian LCCs on price while leveraging Tata feeder traffic through code-shares with Air India for connections to long-haul. The fleet plan calls for crossing 200 B737 MAX 8 aircraft by 2028, which would put AI Express on par with major Gulf LCC fleets.

IndiGo — wide-body teaser, A321XLR realism and Turkish code-share

IndiGo's 2024-2026 international expansion took two tracks. The near-term track was A321neo and A321XLR launches into longer-thin markets that previously needed wide-body metal. Notable launches included BLR-PEN Penang direct, MAA-PEN, HYD-KUL, BOM-CMB, BLR-CMB, COK-HKT and the strategically important DEL-TBS Tbilisi and BLR-TBS pair which extended IndiGo's Central Asia footprint. The carrier also added BOM-NBO Nairobi on a wet-leased B787, the first Indian LCC to operate sub-Saharan Africa with sustained frequency.

The second track was the wide-body strategy. IndiGo confirmed its first 30 A350-900 orders with delivery starting in 2027 and signed for B787-9 lift to bridge the gap. The pre-emptive code-share with Turkish Airlines on wet-leased B777 BOM-IST and DEL-IST operations gave IndiGo passengers connections across Europe and beyond Istanbul, with through-baggage and unified fares. This is the first time an Indian LCC has run a structured long-haul code-share at scale.

Practically, an Indian traveller in 2026 can now book an IndiGo BOM-IST-CDG or DEL-IST-LHR routing on a single ticket with through-checked baggage. Fares for the LHR connection have been clearing around 42,000 to 58,000 rupees economy in shoulder season, which is materially below Air India non-stop pricing. The A321XLR launches make Central Asia accessible from the South — BLR-TBS direct is a 7 hour 30 minute mission that opens Georgia, Armenia and onward Eastern European connections.

Akasa Air — international AOC and the calibrated Gulf push

Akasa Air received its international flying clearance in 2024 and launched its first overseas route from Mumbai to Doha (BOM-DOH) on B737 MAX 8 equipment, followed quickly by BOM-RUH Riyadh, BOM-JED Jeddah, BLR-DOH and BLR-DXB. The carrier's expansion was deliberately measured — Akasa chose to grow international depth at fewer cities rather than spreading thin. By early 2026 the international slate had grown to about 18 city pairs, all Gulf-focused.

Akasa's product positioning differs from AI Express. Where AI Express targets ultra-low fares with minimal add-ons, Akasa offers a slightly upmarket experience — leather slimline seats, decent IFE through the Akasa app on personal devices, and a more service-led cabin product. Fares typically clear 5 to 10 percent higher than AI Express equivalents on parallel routes, but the on-time performance is consistently among India's best.

The strategic question for 2026-2028 is whether Akasa pursues Southeast Asia, which would bring it head-to-head with IndiGo's established BKK, SIN and KUL routes. The fleet plan supports it — Akasa has firmed orders for 226 B737 MAX 8 and MAX 10 aircraft, which is a fleet larger than several major European LCCs. International code-share evaluations with carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways have been reported but not yet confirmed publicly. The 2026 trajectory points towards Akasa being the third Indian airline with a serious international presence.

Vistara merger fallout — what routes were rationalised and what survived

The Vistara-Air India merger, fully completed by late 2024, triggered the first major Indian wide-body route consolidation in recent memory. The combined Tata wide-body fleet of B787-9, B777-300ER and the soon-to-arrive A350-900 was rationalised across the merged network, with overlapping frequencies between the two former brands eliminated and the strongest schedule retained. Vistara's distinctive Vistara Singapore (DEL-SIN, BOM-SIN), London (DEL-LHR, BOM-LHR) and Frankfurt routes were absorbed under the Air India brand, often retaining the better-timed Vistara slot.

The Mauritius (DEL-MRU) and Mumbai-Bali (BOM-DPS) services, both originally Vistara launches, transitioned smoothly to Air India aircraft and crew. Several Vistara A320neo international flights — notably the BOM-CMB and DEL-KTM rotations — moved into Air India Express scheduling. The Vistara loyalty programme, Club Vistara, integrated with Flying Returns, generally favouring Vistara members on transition with bonus tier matches.

For Indian travellers the practical outcome was a temporary thinning of frequencies on a few overlapped routes during transition, then a recovery towards 2025-end as new B787-9 deliveries from the Air India order arrived. The cabin product is converging on the new Air India standard, which is materially better than the legacy Air India product but still being installed across the fleet. Booking-wise, the unified Air India brand means a single airindia.com point-of-purchase and one mileage account, simplifying what had been a fragmented Tata-aviation experience.

Foreign carrier launches and capacity additions touching India

Foreign carriers also added meaningful capacity into India in the 2024-2026 window. Vietnam Airlines launched HAN-DEL and SGN-BOM, the first Indian non-stop service from a Vietnamese flag carrier in over a decade. Vietjet Air rapidly built out a four-city India network — BOM, DEL, HYD, BLR all to HAN and SGN — on A321neo metal at aggressive LCC fares. Etihad re-instated AUH-AMD and AUH-IXC, plugging gaps in Gujarat and Punjab.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both added third daily frequencies to LHR from BOM and DEL respectively. Lufthansa restored its DEL-MUC and added a fourth-weekly BLR-FRA, which has been a route Indian South tech travellers have lobbied for years. Singapore Airlines added BLR-SIN third daily and pushed MAA-SIN to a 14-weekly schedule. Cathay Pacific finally reopened HYD-HKG after a multi-year absence, picking up Indian South tech travel demand for Pacific routes.

From the Gulf, flydubai pushed into multiple Tier-2 cities — LKO, IDR, KNU and TRV — establishing itself as the second Gulf LCC after Air Arabia. Qatar Airways quietly added GOI-DOH, recognising the Goa NRI catchment from Europe, and IndiGo's code-share with Qatar deepened. The combined effect is more seats, more options and a sustained downward pressure on Gulf and Europe economy fares from India.

Route map by Indian airport — what each city gained

Looking at the launches by origin airport gives a different view of who won the expansion.

The Tier-2 outcome is the structurally most interesting story. Where Indian Tier-2 airports collectively had perhaps 25 international city pairs in 2023, by early 2026 that count had crossed 60. This is the single biggest change in Indian aviation accessibility in a generation, and it materially reduces the metro-transit premium that has historically shaped Indian outbound travel.

What this means for booking strategy in 2026 and 2027

The practical takeaways for an Indian traveller booking international tickets in 2026 are concrete. First, always check the direct option from your nearest Tier-2 airport before defaulting to a metro routing. The new launches mean a direct flight likely exists where it did not 18 months ago, particularly for Gulf, Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. Tools and metasearch are not always updated quickly on new launches, so a direct check on the airline website is worth two minutes.

Second, the IndiGo-Turkish code-share is a genuinely good Europe option for Indians who have historically defaulted to Emirates one-stops. The product is competitive, the fares are competitive, and the through-checked baggage removes the self-connect risk. For onward US travel via Istanbul, the connecting time at IST has improved with the new airport.

Third, for Southeast Asia, the A321neo and B737 MAX launches mean direct service to Phuket, Bali, Penang and even Phnom Penh from multiple Indian cities. The metro routings through Singapore or Kuala Lumpur are no longer the only option. Fares are typically 15 to 25 percent cheaper on the direct, plus you avoid the transit. Read more about booking timing strategies in our guide to the best time to book flights from India. For deeper background on the writer's analytical approach, see Aarav's author page.

Frequently asked questions

Which Indian airline launched the most international routes in 2024-2026?

Air India Express launched the largest number of new international city pairs in this window — over 25 new routes, primarily Tier-2 Indian cities to Gulf and Southeast Asia destinations. IndiGo was a close second by destination count, with about 22 new international pairs including its first Africa route. Air India launched fewer new routes in absolute terms but added the most wide-body capacity through restored frequencies and Bali, Melbourne and European resumptions.

Is the Air India Bali (DEL-DPS) flight worth booking versus a Singapore connection?

Yes, for most travellers. The DEL-DPS B787-9 non-stop is roughly 7 hours 30 minutes versus 11 to 14 hours with a Singapore or Kuala Lumpur transit. Fares clear at 38,000 to 55,000 rupees economy in shoulder season, which is broadly competitive with two-stop alternatives once you factor in the time saving and the baggage convenience. The cabin product on the new B787-9 is materially better than the legacy Air India product.

What is the IndiGo-Turkish Airlines code-share and how does it work for Indian travellers?

IndiGo wet-leases B777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines for the BOM-IST and DEL-IST routes, operates them as IndiGo flights, and offers through-fares and through-checked baggage onto Turkish Airlines onward European and North American flights. You book on goindigo.in, see the connection priced as a single ticket, and your bag is tagged through to your final destination. It is the first time an Indian LCC has structured a serious long-haul code-share.

Did the Vistara-Air India merger remove any routes I might have flown?

A few overlapping schedules were consolidated rather than eliminated. Most former Vistara international routes — DEL-LHR, BOM-LHR, DEL-SIN, BOM-SIN, DEL-MRU, BOM-DPS, DEL-CDG — continue under the Air India brand, often retaining the better-timed Vistara slot. A small number of duplicate domestic frequencies were trimmed. If you had Club Vistara status, it was status-matched into Flying Returns at integration.

How does Akasa Air's international product compare to AI Express and IndiGo on Gulf routes?

Akasa is positioned slightly upmarket of AI Express and broadly comparable to IndiGo. The cabin is consistent with leather slimline seats, IFE works through the Akasa app on your personal device, and the on-time performance has been among India's best. Fares typically run 5 to 10 percent higher than AI Express on parallel Gulf routes, but the service experience is generally rated higher. For families and business travellers, Akasa is often the comfortable middle option.

Which Tier-2 city gained the most international connectivity in this window?

Lucknow (LKO) and Coimbatore (CJB) gained the most in terms of frequency and carrier diversity. Lucknow added flydubai, expanded Saudia and Oman Air frequencies and got an IndiGo Bangkok launch. Coimbatore deepened its Gulf coverage and got more reliable Singapore and Kuala Lumpur capacity. Bhubaneswar, Vizag and Indore each picked up two to four new international rotations. The pattern across all Tier-2 cities is materially more outbound capacity than was available in 2023.

Will more international routes from Indian Tier-2 cities launch in 2026 and 2027?

Yes, the pipeline is meaningful. AI Express has slot evaluations for additional Tier-2 to Gulf and Tier-2 to Southeast Asia services. IndiGo's A321XLR fleet expansion will unlock more long-thin routes. Gulf carriers continue to chase Indian outbound demand aggressively. Realistic 2026-2027 launches include additional Phuket and Bali services, more Central Asian destinations, second Gulf carrier service into multiple Tier-2 cities, and the long-awaited Tier-2 to East Africa exploration through Ethiopian Airlines.

Are foreign carriers adding more capacity to India faster than Indian carriers are adding overseas capacity?

Both are growing aggressively but the Indian carrier share of total India international capacity is genuinely rising for the first time in a decade. The wide-body Air India deliveries, the IndiGo wide-body order and the Akasa international fleet plan together push Indian carrier share past 45 percent of international ASKs by 2027. Foreign carriers continue to add Tier-2 capacity, but the structural balance is shifting back towards Indian flag carriers and Indian LCCs after years of dominance by Gulf and Southeast Asian foreign carriers.