Air India adds nonstop Delhi-Osaka flights from February 2027

Dhaka: Air India has announced new nonstop flights between Delhi and Kansai International Airport in Osaka, making it the only carrier to operate on the route, according to a release on October 15.

The service will start on February 2, 2027. The airline will operate four weekly flights with its Boeing 787-8 aircraft, offering 18 full-flat beds in business class and 241 economy seats.

Flight AI360 will depart Delhi late in the evening every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, landing in Osaka the following morning. The return service, AI359, will leave Osaka late morning and reach Delhi the same evening.

Osaka will become Air India's second Japanese destination after Tokyo's Haneda, where the carrier already runs daily flights from Delhi and four weekly flights from Mumbai.

The new route caters to growing demand from Indian travelers. It also enables open-jaw itineraries, allowing passengers to fly into Osaka and return from Tokyo, or vice versa.

This flexibility is useful for multi-city visitors, particularly those exploring Japan’s Golden Route, covering Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Japan has been drawing a growing number of Indian travelers in recent years. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), more than 315,000 Indians visited the country in 2025, marking a 35% rise over 2024 and nearly 80% above pre-pandemic figures.

Industry observers attribute this surge to rising interest in Japan's culture, cuisine, and leisure offerings, along with expanding business and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.