Birmingham: Air India Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[Iron Duck]

Great to get Tuesday back so daily again, I trust the demand has increased due to no Indian flights from any other UK regional airport

TUI fly to Goa from manc ?

 

[rollo]

Technically correct but IT holiday flights to the beach isn't quite comparable.

 

[RichL]

Great to get Tuesday back so daily again, I trust the demand has increased due to no Indian flights from any other UK regional airport

Not just Tuesday, but AI in general, some know it all on airliners dot net says its purely for political reasons / lobbying etc, the flights are often empty and as soon as the new AI CEO comes in they'll drop BHX completely...

I dont have a forum account over there, probably a good idea that I dont.

 

[rollo]

The Tuesday flight seems to have disappeared from their timetable still with a mix of 788 and 777 according to posts on pprune by Olton Pete including a unique trick of flights arriving by 777 departing by 788? WIP I suppose.

Air India are a long-term time operator out of BHX with the going way back to the 1980's with 707's flying via Moscow.

 

[BLB777]

Great to get Tuesday back so daily again, I trust the demand has increased due to no Indian flights from any other UK regional airport

Seems this hasn't happened, latest loads factors are struggling to get above 50%

 

[IanFarquharson]

Todays inbound load very healthy indeed !

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Both Delhi and Amritsar back on the 77W next summer

Recently updated

 

[IanFarquharson]

Both Delhi and Amritsar back on the 77W next summer

Recently updated

Lets hope so, loads are a bit eratic but with Indigo pulling out the UK the extra BHX should do well

 

[BLB777]

Todays inbound load very healthy indeed !

Outbound load not though, empty first class half empty business and a total load factor of 46% hardly good even if the inbound loads are better, and these poor outbound loads aren't a one off either, been happening for the past few weeks now.

If we look at AI113 on the 11th September. First class was empty, business had 6 out of the 35 seats sold, and economy was mostly full, that's roughly an 85% LF with the premium cabins mostly empty.

The route cannot carry on like this, extra charges for fuel, diverting round Pakistan just running the routes to the ground. Indigo pulling out has had absolutely no impact on how people reach India from the UK, if anything it's made it worse

 

[Iron Duck]

Lets hope so, loads are a bit eratic but with Indigo pulling out the UK the extra BHX should do well

But it’s clearly not by the look of things.

 

[gulftraveller]

Lets hope so, loads are a bit eratic but with Indigo pulling out the UK the extra BHX should do well

Air India is apparently struggling with loads in the UK in general, partly due to the psychological effects of the Ahmedabad crash. As for Indigo passengers, the largest demand is for BOM, not served from BHX. They will be back onto GF, KU, EY, EK, QR rather than heading down the motorway.

 

[BLB777]

Lets hope so, loads are a bit eratic but with Indigo pulling out the UK the extra BHX should do well

Inbound high load could be students, which would explain the difference. Outbound tonight really not good. No first seats sold, business half full and a total LF of 43%. 150 pax would be considered low for a 787 let alone a B77W. The aircraft changing is going to kill this route

 

[nwoody2001]

I really would not read anything into Air India first class being empty, it often is even from LHR. The First Class - and to a degree Business Class - on these old 777 are some of the worst and outdated products in the sky and are rarely sold, especially at the prices Air India charge. if you have that amount of money, you are not spending it on Air India, that's for sure.

We also know the 777 isn't on this route to increase capacity, its here to cover the refurbishment of the 787 fleet. Air India has had to make major cuts to nearly their ensure long-haul route networl outside asia to accommodate the reduced capacity. The very fact that BHX has not lost any flights and actually increase capacity when you see the extent of the cuts is a mere miracle...

NORTH AMERICA

1. Delhi-Chicago: temporarily suspended
2. Delhi-San Francisco: reduced from 10 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights through August
3. Delhi-Toronto: reduced from 10 weekly flights to 5 weekly flights through July; daily operations to resume from August
4. Delhi-Vancouver: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 5 weekly flights
5. Mumbai-Newark: increased from 3 weekly flights to daily operations
6. Delhi-Newark: temporarily suspended
7. Mumbai-New York (JFK): temporarily suspended
8. Delhi-New York (JFK): continues as a daily service
9. Delhi-Washington: route cancelled

EUROPE

1. Delhi-Paris: reduced from 14 weekly flights to 7 weekly flight
2. Delhi-Copenhagen: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
3. Delhi-Milan: reduced from 5 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights
4. Delhi-Vienna: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
5. Delhi-Zurich: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
6. Delhi-Rome: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights

AUSTRALIA

1. Delhi-Melbourne: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights
2. Delhi-Sydney: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights

 

[BLB777]

I really would not read anything into Air India first class being empty, it often is even from LHR. The First Class - and to a degree Business Class - on these old 777 are some of the worst and outdated products in the sky and are rarely sold, especially at the prices Air India charge. if you have that amount of money, you are not spending it on Air India, that's for sure.

We also know the 777 isn't on this route to increase capacity, its here to cover the refurbishment of the 787 fleet. Air India has had to make major cuts to nearly their ensure long-haul route networl outside asia to accommodate the reduced capacity. The very fact that BHX has not lost any flights and actually increase capacity when you see the extent of the cuts is a mere miracle...

NORTH AMERICA

1. Delhi-Chicago: temporarily suspended
2. Delhi-San Francisco: reduced from 10 weekly flights to 7 weekly flights through August
3. Delhi-Toronto: reduced from 10 weekly flights to 5 weekly flights through July; daily operations to resume from August
4. Delhi-Vancouver: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 5 weekly flights
5. Mumbai-Newark: increased from 3 weekly flights to daily operations
6. Delhi-Newark: temporarily suspended
7. Mumbai-New York (JFK): temporarily suspended
8. Delhi-New York (JFK): continues as a daily service
9. Delhi-Washington: route cancelled

EUROPE

1. Delhi-Paris: reduced from 14 weekly flights to 7 weekly flight
2. Delhi-Copenhagen: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
3. Delhi-Milan: reduced from 5 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights
4. Delhi-Vienna: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
5. Delhi-Zurich: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights
6. Delhi-Rome: reduced from 4 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights

AUSTRALIA

1. Delhi-Melbourne: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights
2. Delhi-Sydney: reduced from 7 weekly flights to 4 weekly flights

BHX has seen cuts though, the 4th weekly was suppose to return and has now been dropped, was meant to be daily flights not 6 weekly

 

[nwoody2001]

BHX has seen cuts though, the 4th weekly was suppose to return and has now been dropped, was meant to be daily flights not 6 weekly

Thats a long standing cut that was made as a result of the pandemic and since then has only been reinstated for 8 months and ended as a result of the AI crash. BHX has not seen any cuts as a consequence of the 788 refurbishment process unlike all of the routes listed above!

BHX has seen cuts though, the 4th weekly was suppose to return and has now been dropped, was meant to be daily flights not 6 weekly

And if you want to be specific….

6x weekly 777 offer more capacity than 7x weekly 788 in Air India Configs. So this week Air India is offering more capacity out of BHX than they have for nearly 10 years!

 

[BLB777]

Thats a long standing cut that was made as a result of the pandemic and since then has only been reinstated for 8 months and ended as a result of the AI crash. BHX has not seen any cuts as a consequence of the 788 refurbishment process unlike all of the routes listed above!


And if you want to be specific….

6x weekly 777 offer more capacity than 7x weekly 788 in Air India Configs. So this week Air India is offering more capacity out of BHX than they have for nearly 10 years!

The 4th weekly was meant to return but was quietly dropped, and if we are talking about capacity over frequency I don't think you can class 50% loads (on a good day) as a win win.

 

[nwoody2001]

The 4th weekly was meant to return but was quietly dropped, and if we are talking about capacity over frequency I don't think you can class 50% loads as a win win.

Was it quietly dropped? No.

The 7th weekly rotation was planned to be reintroduced once the schedule returned to an all-787-8 operation. The refurbishment programme - as has been widely reported - has been significantly delayed, meaning the 777s are continuing to operate at BHX and, as a result, there is currently no operational need to reinstate the 7th weekly rotation.

And to be clear, I’m not claiming that a 50% load factor is a “win”. September to date is actually slightly higher at 57%. My point is the overall performance in context:

• Passenger numbers are up in July, August and September 2026 compared with the same months in 2025. That is a win.

• BHX has not lost any capacity over summer 2026, unlike many other international routes. That is a win.

• We have retained the route, while other stations - LGW being an obvious example - have seen their Air India presence significantly reduced. That is a win.

Air India is not a charity, and neither is BHX. Air India will deploy its aircraft where it believes the markets are most important, profitable and commercially viable.

Given the huge loss of 787-8 capacity across the fleet, Air India could quite easily have reduced or cancelled BHX altogether. Instead, they have increased capacity at BHX while cutting capacity to more than 20 other long-haul destinations before reducing BHX. In the fickle world of aviation THAT IS A WIN!

So no, I’m not suggesting a 50% load factor is something to celebrate in isolation.

I’m saying that in the context of what has happened to Air India’s fleet and wider international network, BHX retaining its route, retaining its summer capacity and actually carrying more passengers year-on-year is objectively a positive outcome.

You can argue about whether it is good enough. That’s a different argument.

But calling it anything other than a win in the circumstances completely ignores the wider context.

 

[IanFarquharson]

I agree with all that, AI still use 788's and 789's multiple daily flights into LHR, but they have chosen the 77W's for BHX - thats tells you something and a win !

 

[BLB777]

Was it quietly dropped? No.

The 7th weekly rotation was planned to be reintroduced once the schedule returned to an all-787-8 operation. The refurbishment programme - as has been widely reported - has been significantly delayed, meaning the 777s are continuing to operate at BHX and, as a result, there is currently no operational need to reinstate the 7th weekly rotation.

And to be clear, I’m not claiming that a 50% load factor is a “win”. September to date is actually slightly higher at 57%. My point is the overall performance in context:

• Passenger numbers are up in July, August and September 2026 compared with the same months in 2025. That is a win.

• BHX has not lost any capacity over summer 2026, unlike many other international routes. That is a win.

• We have retained the route, while other stations - LGW being an obvious example - have seen their Air India presence significantly reduced. That is a win.

Air India is not a charity, and neither is BHX. Air India will deploy its aircraft where it believes the markets are most important, profitable and commercially viable.

Given the huge loss of 787-8 capacity across the fleet, Air India could quite easily have reduced or cancelled BHX altogether. Instead, they have increased capacity at BHX while cutting capacity to more than 20 other long-haul destinations before reducing BHX. In the fickle world of aviation THAT IS A WIN!

So no, I’m not suggesting a 50% load factor is something to celebrate in isolation.

I’m saying that in the context of what has happened to Air India’s fleet and wider international network, BHX retaining its route, retaining its summer capacity and actually carrying more passengers year-on-year is objectively a positive outcome.

You can argue about whether it is good enough. That’s a different argument.

But calling it anything other than a win in the circumstances completely ignores the wider context.

LGW lost its Kochi flights in Feb 25 and it's Bengaluru flights in October 24 and Goa in June 25, these cuts happened way before the war began, and the only one that can be as a result of external factors was Goa. Bengaluru quite simply moved to LHR, so AI still serve the London market direct from Heathrow.

BHX is the same as Gatwick, where their routes are politically driven which is what is keeping them from being cut, nothing else and if the new CEO is going to be as ruthless as people say with cuts network restructuring then there isn't really a scenario where these routes stay, especially when they perform as bad as they are right now.

I agree with all that, AI still use 788's and 789's multiple daily flights into LHR, but they have chosen the 77W's for BHX - thats tells you something and a win !

So 50% loads on a good day and a half empty business cabin with no first sold isn't a concern to you. You just see a big plane and think wow

 

[nwoody2001]

LGW lost its Kochi flights in Feb 25 and it's Bengaluru flights in October 24 and Goa in June 25, these cuts happened way before the war began, and the only one that can be as a result of external factors was Goa. Bengaluru quite simply moved to LHR, so AI still serve the London market direct from Heathrow.

BHX is the same as Gatwick, where their routes are politically driven which is what is keeping them from being cut, nothing else and if the new CEO is going to be as ruthless as people say with cuts network restructuring then there isn't really a scenario where these routes stay, especially when they perform as bad as they are right now.


So 50% loads on a good day and a half empty business cabin with no first sold isn't a concern to you. You just see a big plane and think wow

Who said anything about the cuts being because of “the war”? I assume you mean the USA/Iran conflict.

The primary reason for Air India’s network-wide cuts has been the 787-8 refurbishment programme, followed by the operational and political impacts of the India–Pakistan tensions and subsequent closure of Pakistani airspace in May 2025, as well as the reputational impact of the Air India crash in June 2025.

You’re also saying BHX and LGW are essentially the same, but the actual evidence doesn’t support that.

In the last two years, LGW has gone from five Air India routes to just two. BHX has lost zero routes and is now back at a higher level of capacity.

Of course the commercial rationale for operating each route matters. But if the reasons for serving LGW and BHX are supposedly the same, then BHX has demonstrably come out of this situation better. That isn't opinion; that's what the network changes show.

And I particularly love the argument that “Bengaluru quite simply moved to LHR, so AI still serve the London market direct from Heathrow” - as though that somehow means nothing was lost.

It absolutely was a loss for LGW.

In fact, the fact that Air India was able to move Bengaluru from LGW to LHR so easily arguably makes the BHX situation more significant. If Heathrow had sufficient spare capacity to absorb Bengaluru, Air India could have similarly shifted BHX capacity into LHR if it considered that capacity more valuable there.

It didn't.

Instead, BHX retained its route and its capacity while Air India made cuts elsewhere across the network.

Now, none of us knows what the new CEO is going to do. I certainly can't read the future. Maybe there will be further cuts. Maybe BHX will eventually be one of them. And frankly, given the scale of the cuts elsewhere across Air India's long-haul network, I'm surprised BHX hasn't been on the cutting block already.

But to date, the airport has performed well in the circumstances. That's the point I'm making. And long may that continue.

As for the point about First Class going unsold, I'd suggest looking at the Heathrow operation before using that as evidence against BHX.

Air India currently offers First Class on only one Heathrow route: LHR–BOM. There are 56 First Class seats available across the entirety of next week - and 50 of those 56 seats are still available to book.

And that's on a route where Air India has been offering First Class for years.

So if we're going to use unsold First Class seats as evidence that a market or route isn't viable, we probably need to apply that argument consistently - not just when it suits the conclusion we're trying to reach.