New Delhi: Marking a major upgrade in luxury and service, Tata-owned India’s largest international carrier Air India has introduced its A350-900 aircraft on nonstop flights from Delhi to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport.

In a press statement, Air India says that this flagship service, now operational daily, will also extend to Newark Liberty International Airport from January 2, 2025, operating five days weekly.

The addition of the A350 marks a significant step for the Tata Group–owned airline as it enhances its fleet with more fuel-efficient, long-range aircraft to meet growing demand on international routes.

The A350’s launch comes amid a period of operational adjustments for Air India. The airline recently announced the temporary cancellation of around 60 flights to various U.S. destinations between November 15 and December 31. The cancellations are due to the non-availability of certain widebody planes, affected by ongoing maintenance and global supply chain challenges.

Despite these temporary disruptions, Air India continues to expand its international offerings and aims to increase passenger capacity on key routes. The airline’s investment in the A350 is part of a larger strategy to modernize its fleet and improve long-haul service quality.

Following the introduction of the A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-New York flight, Air India said it will start a five times a-week A350 service from Delhi to Newark's Liberty International Airport from January 2 next year.

Air India currently has six Airbus A350-900 aircraft in its fleet.

Generally, ultra-long-haul flights are those having a duration of 16 hours or more. Air India operates such flights to North America.

The loss-making Air India had inducted the first A350-900 in the fleet in December last year. Following this, the airline initially deployed the plane on domestic routes and later on for operating medium-haul long international flights including to London from Delhi.

-B