Fuel shortages stemming from the Iran war are forcing India’s second-largest airline to cut more than a quarter of its international flights for the summer, in the latest setback for global aviation.
The cuts deepen the turmoil at Air India, following a devastating crash last year and the departure of its CEO last month.
“The war has attacked every leg of Air India’s transformation plan,” an industry consultant said. But the flight reductions are a boon to the company’s international rivals: Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific are among those adding trips in the fast-growing aviation market.
Every airline, though, is feeling the pain from the war, with increases in airfares “inevitable” this summer, the former British Airways CEO said.