DELHI, 9 March 2026: Air India will launch two new international routes as part of its continued expansion across Asia starting this May.
Effective 1 May 2026, Air India will operate direct flights between Delhi and Hanoi, making Hanoi the airline’s second gateway in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City.
Air India will also introduce direct flights between Mumbai and Tokyo (Haneda) from 15 June 2026, in addition to its Delhi-Tokyo (Haneda) services.
The new service from Delhi to Hanoi will operate five times a week, complementing the already established daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City. This provides greater flexibility to travellers who intend to visit Vietnam with open-jaw itineraries (entering Vietnam at Hanoi and exiting via Ho Chi Minh City or vice versa).
Air India will deploy its A320neo aircraft on the Delhi-Hanoi route, featuring business class, premium economy and economy class. The opening of this new route adds 7,028 seats to and from Vietnam each month.
Air India flights to and from Vietnam offer convenient connections to several destinations across the airline’s domestic and international route networks, including the United Kingdom and much of Europe.
Boosting connectivity to Japan
The new services between Mumbai and Tokyo (Haneda) will operate four times a week using Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
Recently, Air India increased the frequency between Delhi and Tokyo (Haneda), increasing from four to seven weekly flights. Effective 14 February 2026, the airline upgraded its product offering on the route to B787-9 aircraft featuring new cabin interiors and introduced premium economy.
Air India has an active codeshare partnership with fellow Star Alliance member airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) to provide its guests with convenient onward connections from Tokyo Haneda to 6 other major cities in Japan: Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Okinawa, Osaka, and Sapporo.
Air India Chief Commercial Officer, Nipun Aggarwal, said: “Since Air India’s privatisation, we have significantly grown our network across Southeast Asia and the Far East, having added several new routes, optimised flight schedules to enable convenient cross-continent connections, and forged new partnerships with other carriers.”
He added: “Japan and Vietnam have both emerged as fast-growing destinations for Indian travellers, while India’s economic and commercial ties with both nations continue to deepen and present more opportunities for business and trade on both sides. The launch of these new routes supports this growth and strengthens our presence in the region.”
Japan has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing outbound destinations for Indian travellers. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, over 3,15,000 Indians visited Japan in 2025, representing a 35% increase over 2024 and nearly 80% growth compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Vietnam continues to gain popularity among leisure travellers and corporate groups as its leisure and business event tourism sectors expand. The country now ranks third in Southeast Asia in terms of visitor numbers, having recorded over 20 million visitors in 2025.
Flights will progressively be available for booking through all channels, including Air India’s official website, mobile app, and travel agents.
(Source: Air India)
