Air India Cuts Birmingham Routes as British Airways Resumes Dubai Flights
Air India is suspending winter flights between Birmingham and India while British Airways resumes daily service from London Heathrow to Dubai.
International flight schedules in the United Kingdom are shifting as carriers adjust for winter seasons and geopolitical recoveries. Air India will suspend non-stop service between Birmingham and Delhi in early November 2026, with flights to Amritsar also expected to pause for the winter. This leaves Birmingham without direct connections to India during the high-demand Christmas and wedding seasons.
Aman Thakran, founder of BharatFare, called the suspension a "real loss for Birmingham" and warned that the move, combined with IndiGo pausing flights from Heathrow, will likely drive up airfares for December travel. Air India is offering affected passengers full refunds or rebooking options.
Simultaneously, British Airways resumed daily flights between London Heathrow and Dubai International Airport on November 3, 2026. The service had been suspended for eight months due to Middle East conflicts and the Iran war. While the airline plans to increase Dubai frequency to twice daily by summer 2027, it has cancelled flights to Abu Dhabi until winter 2027-2028 and suspended services to Riyadh and Bahrain into 2027.
Other carriers are gradually returning to Dubai. Air France is expected by November 7, followed by Lufthansa, Swiss, and Eurowings on November 25. Longer suspensions remain for Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, and KLM, with Virgin Atlantic not planning a return until October 2027.
