Delta could restart JFK-BOM on A359s right now if it wanted to
Feb 21, 2026 | 4:04 pm
#16
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Feb 21, 2026 | 6:03 pm
#17
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I think they definitely used to fly over Russian Airspace, but I believe the issue is Pakistani airspace now. I could definitely be wrong, but I think in 2025 Pakistan banned Indian carriers from their airspace. That ban was just extended again. I believe that forces Air India from New York to Mumbai and Delhi to route southwest around Pakistan and the new routing just happens to avoid Russian airspace.
Feb 21, 2026 | 7:36 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2009
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I believe there are a lot of factors that go into the decision of which airline to fly to India. I have always flown DL/KL/AF as it's one stop to BOM/DEL, and it let's me accrue my miles on my dominant airline. I'm also traveling for business and find the accommodations to be more than adequate. Would Emirates/Etihad/Qatar be better? Perhaps. But flying SkyTeam gets me to where I'm going in one stop versus two stops on the ME3 for some of the US cities I come from/go to. Bottom line...a number of factors go into the decision.
Last I flew JFK-BOM in J was back in December 2019..before COVID.
I will happy give all my business to DL if they were to restart JFK-BOM or introduce JFK-DEL.
Feb 22, 2026 | 1:49 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 562
Not to switch topics, but I thought this post would be somewhat appropriate here. On 2/16, DL55 from LOS-ATL stopped at JFK and this flight was on the A350-900. I missed it by a day. Keeping my fingers crossed that this happens permanently in the future.
Feb 22, 2026 | 2:14 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2007
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DOT and FAA dont apply to India air carriers over that part of the world.
Are they going to stop buying Russian and Iranian fuel? Come on.