Air India Eyes Manila, Jakarta, Los Angeles for 2025 Expansion

Air India, under the Tata Group's leadership, is set to extend its international reach by introducing five new major destinations in 2025, subject to aircraft availability, according to sources familiar with the matter. According to Businessline, planned destinations include Manila, Jakarta, Dallas, and Los Angeles, which will complement Air India’s existing network of approximately 45 international locations.

The airline has not provided official comments on the development. However, industry sources indicate that despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, 2025 is expected to be a year of moderate growth. These challenges, while persistent, are not expected to hinder the airline’s ability to receive and deploy new aircraft for expansion.

The recent merger of Vistara and the subsequent network optimization have provided Air India with additional capacity to pursue these expansion plans. The carrier had previously faced delays in aircraft deliveries, partly due to issues such as the strike at Boeing’s US facilities. In November 2023, Air India Group’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, acknowledged that these delays had impacted the airline's growth projections but expressed confidence in adjusting the expansion plans for 2025.

The proposed services to Manila and Jakarta are expected to launch in the first half of 2025, although official schedules have not been confirmed. Flights to Dallas and Los Angeles may commence later in the year. Additionally, Air India is considering increasing its flight frequencies to key European destinations.

In the past year, Air India has expanded its operations with new routes such as Mumbai-New York, Mumbai-Melbourne, Delhi-Amsterdam, Delhi-Zurich, and Bengaluru-London. It also introduced new international destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Zurich, Bali, and Mauritius in 2024.

The growing international passenger traffic to and from India is playing a pivotal role in driving the airline’s route expansion. Sources also pointed to the success of Air India’s international-to-international transfer business, which has nearly doubled since the Tata Group took over the airline’s management in 2022. This growth in transfer traffic is motivating the airline to increase direct connectivity to new international markets.

Since January 2023, Air India has added several new European routes, including services from Delhi to Birmingham, Milan, Copenhagen, Vienna, Amsterdam, and Zurich. Additionally, it launched new flights to Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, and Kuala Lumpur, while boosting frequencies to popular destinations like Kathmandu, Colombo, Singapore, and Bangkok.

In a bid to optimize its network further, Air India plans adjustments from February 1, 2025. These changes will offer passengers convenient one-stop connections from major European cities like London, Paris, and Frankfurt to destinations in Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne, as well as Southeast Asian cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City, via New Delhi.