Going to p*** off a lot of aunties and uncles who were the majority on these flights for not having to change planes. Now they are supposed to collect baggage and re-deposit? I can imagine the length of the "wheelchair assist" boarding lines now.

AI will allow you to cancel and get a refund for such disruptions but it may take many months to get the money back in the worst case.

A pilot I spoke to on one of these trips was saying these flights with the legacy 777Ws are not even break even as they have to take off at maximum fuel load at SFO and so have to leave some 50-55 economy seats unsold.

Official confirmation.

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/251219-aimar26sfoyyz

No direct (or fuel stop) flights between SFO and BOM/BLR starting Mar 2026. Have to go via DEL with a domestic connection.

DEL-SFO increased to 10 per week. SFO bound is non stop. DEL bound is via fuel stop at CCU.

Freed planes are being used to increase frequency to Toronto.

Bad idea to move this thread which confirmed direct service from SFO to BLR/BOM disappearing in March to the CCU fuel stop thread. The former has nothing to do with the latter and will not be found by someone wondering about this disappearance later on for their trip.

DEL-SFO will become 10x weekly

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com.../126114142.cms

They are bringing back AI 183 three days a week for DEL-SFO to supplement. It was taken off schedule after the "unscheduled" stops in Russia I think.

There is no way to make a BLR-SFO flight now without being awake all night. Either take 6am domestic flight to DEL to make the connection to AI 173 or take the 10:25PM flight to connect to AI 183 departing 5AM. I chose the latter for my return which is only tolerable with lounge access. Both flights were wide open towards end of Mar.

SFO-BLR is worse with both an intermediate fuel stop and the plane switch in DEL to domestic.

For now., it appears that AI has given up on the SFO-BLR passengers, there may be a few who will choose to connect via DEL. SFO-BOM will continue to be semi-decent. AI has always relied on the strong O&D from DEL and connections to various other cities in India. No light at the end of the tunnel, unless Pak air space is lifted, but that appears to be indefinite, it could be many years, before it is resolved. The Himalayan route via China is an alternate, but due to technical restrictions and also need to get China permission, this route is not viable now.

Why is SFO-BOM any better? That will also need a DEL connection along with a CCU fuel stop in addition to DEL connection for SFO-BOM leg. Or do you mean with other airline options?

Air India's over-reliance on DEL might be a strategic mistake even for international flights let alone domestic.

A central hub at HYD and a gateway at BLR for East Asia and Australia along with BOM for Europe and Middle East would provide far more convenient routings for more people. With North and West closed off for DEL, it is in a very bad place geographically and the winter fog makes it even worse.

Was trying to find flights for BLR-SYD and having to go via DEL makes no sense.

When and if all the ordered widebodies show up AI will surely start establishing new hubs. Until then they have to focus on using the existing feeder network to DEL to fill their longhaul.

AI has already committed to establishing a secondary hub at BLR but they need the new wide bodies to get those flights going.

I don’t see AI having any other choice. I don’t think this is an over reliance on DEL. This is serve DEL properly first before having secondary hubs. AI simply doesn’t have a big enough fleet. Every “hub” needs spare planes when planes go tech. AI doesn’t have the spares. Even BOM is basically capped for now with the EY 77W fleet. Even with 5 aircraft scheduled out of the 6 EY planes, AI still couldn’t save my JFK-BOM flight which ended up getting the old 77W AI plane 23 hours late. It is sad the flights to BOM/BLR are gone for now. But in the end if it increases relatability for AI overall, it is probably worth it.

The over-reliance on DEL will continue even after they get their fleet. There is no logical reason for DEL to be a primary hub. The current number of passengers via DEL is a consequence of that being made a primary hub for historical reasons, not a reason to keep it as the primary hub. And that is perpetuating it.

A more central primary hub for a domestic hub and spoke model, a primary gateway hub in each compass direction for each international sector based on routes would be more optimal.

Anyway, this is going OT for this thread. So feel free to delete.

Isn't New Delhi the largest city in India now, so in some ways it makes sense for DEL to be the primary hub? Is there any other major airport where the weather would be better?

Almost every other major airport in India has better weather than DEL for flights in winter months. Fog delays are constant.

Rest of the time no practical difference to flights.

Proximity to great circle routes from India to US/EU, strong international demand due to diplomats / north Indian diaspora, multiple CAT3 runways and widebody ready terminals are some very logical reasons that come to mind.