New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) Air India will suspend flights between the national capital and Washington D.C. from September 1, mainly due to non-availability of multiple Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes as the legacy aircraft fleet is undergoing retrofit.

The Tata Group-owned airline, which currently operates five weekly flights from Delhi to Washington using the Dreamliner, on Monday said the decision has been taken on account of a combination of operational factors to ensure reliability of its overall route network.

"The suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India's fleet, as the airline commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month. This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least end of 2026.

"That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline's long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity," Air India said in a statement.

Following the closure of the Pakistan airspace, Air India's Delhi-Washington flights have a stopover at Vienna and the total flight duration, including the stopover time, is around 19 hours. On the return leg, there is no stop enroute and the flight duration is about 15 hours.

The airline said passengers having bookings to or from Washington D.C. beyond September 1 will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including rebooking on other flights or full refunds, as per their individual preferences.

At present, apart from Washington, the airline operates non-flights to six destinations in North America -- New York, Newark (EWR), Chicago, San Francisco (US), Toronto and Vancouver (Canada).

Currently, Air India has a fleet of around 190 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.

The retrofit of the legacy 26 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner planes is expected to be completed by July 2027.

"Air India customers will continue to have the options of one-stop flights to Washington D.C. via four US gateways -- New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco – with the airline's interline partners, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination," the statement said.

In the wake of the fatal crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane enroute to London Gatwick from Ahmedabad on June 12, the airline, which has embarked on an ambitious five-year transformation plan, has made changes to its network, including withdrawal of flights on five overseas routes.

The airline, on Sunday, said that starting in early 2027, it will additionally retrofit 13 of its legacy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, aiming for completion by October 2028, with the timeline having shifted due to supply chain delays. PTI RAM IAS SHW