Air India ultra long haul Mumbai-Toronto route starts October 25
Representative image: annekroiss / Pixabay
Air India's three-a-week Mumbai-Toronto service starts on October 25, 2026; schedule reports say the Toronto-bound leg will stop in Rome.
What Happened
Air India's new ultra long haul route between Mumbai and Toronto is due to begin on Sunday, October 25, 2026, giving travellers from western India a single-airline link to Canada's largest city for the winter season. The airline announced the seasonal service, three flights a week until March 26, 2027, as a non-stop route using an upgraded Boeing 777-300ER. Schedule reports published by aviation trackers this week say the Toronto-bound flight will now stop in Rome to refuel and change crew, while the return from Toronto will fly non-stop.
Key Facts
- Start date: the Mumbai-Toronto service begins on October 25, 2026 and runs until March 26, 2027, according to Air India.
- Frequency: three flights a week in each direction, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with flight AI193 from Mumbai and AI192 from Toronto.
- Aircraft: a Boeing 777-300ER with 8 First Class suites, 40 flat-bed Business Class seats and 280 Economy seats, the airline said.
- Capacity: Air India said its winter changes add about 4,400 seats a month between India and Canada and raise its premium seats to Toronto by 71%.
- Routing: schedule reports this week say the westbound flight will stop at Rome Fiumicino Airport, taking more than 20 hours in all, while the eastbound flight stays non-stop.
- Delhi link: Air India has also begun flying new Boeing 787-9 aircraft on its Delhi-Toronto route.
- Connections: the airline said passengers can connect through Mumbai and Delhi from cities including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ludhiana and Vadodara.
Why It Matters
Canada is home to one of the largest Indian communities abroad, and Toronto is its centre. Until now, most travellers from Mumbai and the rest of western and southern India have had to change planes, either in Delhi or at a hub in Europe or the Gulf, to reach Toronto. Air India said in its announcement that the new service would make it the only carrier operating direct flights between the two cities. For families visiting relatives, students heading to Ontario's colleges and business travellers, a single-airline journey from Mumbai cuts out one connection and the risk of a missed transfer.
The reported Rome stop shows how hard such flights have become. Indian carriers cannot use Pakistani airspace, and flights to North America also have to route around other closed or restricted airspace. Winds blowing from west to east make the westbound journey longer than the return. Aviation trackers say these limits, together with crew duty rules, are why the Toronto-bound flight will touch down in Rome before crossing the Atlantic. Air India's existing flights from Mumbai to New York and Newark already make a similar stop, the reports say.
The launch is also part of a larger rebuilding of Air India's long-haul network. The airline is spending heavily to refit older wide-body aircraft and bring in new ones, and it has been adding routes in Asia, Europe and North America through 2026. Toronto is one of its busiest overseas markets, and the airline said all its Toronto flights would have new or upgraded cabins from January 2027.
| Route | Days | Aircraft | Routing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai to Toronto (AI193) | Wed, Fri, Sun | Boeing 777-300ER | Reported stop in Rome |
| Toronto to Mumbai (AI192) | Wed, Fri, Sun | Boeing 777-300ER | Non-stop |
| Delhi to Toronto | Existing route | Boeing 787-9 | Non-stop |
Impact
Short-term: passengers who booked the first flights, starting October 25, should check their booking for the final routing and timings, since the schedule shown at the time of the announcement in August has changed. A Rome stop means a longer journey westbound, but passengers stay on the same aircraft and the same airline.
Long-term: if the route does well through the winter, it could become a regular year-round service, and it adds a second Indian gateway to Toronto alongside Delhi. More seats on the India-Canada market could also put pressure on fares, which climb sharply during the festival and holiday seasons.
Who is affected: travellers from Mumbai, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and other western and southern states with family, studies or work in Ontario; students and migrants moving to Canada; travel agents; and airlines that carry India-Canada passengers through Europe and the Gulf.
Key Takeaway
Air India's Mumbai-Toronto flights start on October 25, 2026, three times a week, with the return leg non-stop and the Toronto-bound leg reported to stop in Rome because of airspace and fuel limits.
Questions and Answers
When does Air India's new ultra long haul route from Mumbai to Toronto start?
The seasonal service begins on Sunday, October 25, 2026 and runs until March 26, 2027, with three flights a week in each direction on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Is the Mumbai-Toronto flight non-stop?
Air India announced it as a non-stop service. Schedule reports published this week say the Mumbai-to-Toronto flight will stop in Rome to refuel and change crew, while the Toronto-to-Mumbai flight will be non-stop. Passengers should confirm the routing on their booking.
What aircraft will Air India use on the route?
The airline said it will fly a Boeing 777-300ER with refreshed cabins: 8 First Class suites with sliding doors, 40 flat-bed Business Class seats and 280 Economy seats.
Can passengers from other Indian cities use this flight?
Yes. Air India said travellers can connect through Mumbai or Delhi from cities such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ludhiana and Vadodara.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
