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.

Axar.az reports, citing Telegraph India, "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.