Vadodara: Rising aviation turbine fuel prices have prompted Air India to scale back flights across Gujarat, with Vadodara set to lose two Delhi services over June and July and Rajkot facing the suspension of its Delhi and Mumbai flights in June, tightening air connectivity during the monsoon travel season.As part of its rationalization of flight operations amid higher fuel and operating costs, Air India has decided to discontinue two services on the Delhi-Vadodara sector. According to the revised schedule, flight AI-2866/2867 will remain cancelled from June 1 to July 31, 2026.In addition, Air India’s AI-1701/1808 service on the same route will be suspended from July 1 to July 31, 2026.The decision means Vadodara will lose two Air India-operated Delhi flights during this period, leaving passengers increasingly dependent on IndiGo services for direct connectivity with the national capital.Under the daily schedule effective from May 1 to May 31, 2026, Vadodara Airport handled multiple domestic connections, mainly operated by IndiGo and Air India. AI-1701/1808 operated in the morning slot, arriving from Delhi at 7.30am and departing at 8.00am daily. AI-2866/2867 ran in the evening slot on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving at 4.25pm and departing at 5.40pm.Aviation sources said the cancellations would affect business travellers and frequent flyers, with the airline reviewing route profitability and aircraft deployment amid rising fuel expenditure and a broader operational restructuring.Vadodara will, however, continue to be connected to Delhi through several IndiGo services — 6E-6220/6221, 6E-990/2082 and 6E-5014/0557 — along with Air India’s remaining AI-2881/2882 flight. The city also has air links with Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru through IndiGo-operated services.The cutbacks mirror similar action in Rajkot, where Air India will suspend its daily morning Rajkot–Delhi flight and evening Rajkot–Mumbai flight for the whole of June. Travel agents there have warned of higher fares and disrupted travel plans, with Delhi–Rajkot tickets already touching nearly Rs 19,000 on some dates, against the usual Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000.Industry estimates suggest airfares across the affected sectors have risen by about 20 per cent, adding to the strain on travellers from Gujarat as fuel costs continue to climb.
