New International Flights from India for Winter 2026

Published 2026-10-28 · 8 min read · By the Travlys visa team

The Winter 2026 schedule started on 25 October with more than 40 new Air India Express routes to Thailand, the Gulf, Singapore and Nepal. Here is every confirmed route and the visa route for each destination.

The Winter 2026 airline schedule began on 25 October 2026, and most of the new international flights from India this season come from Air India Express. The airline says it is adding more than 40 routes, growing its international network from 83 to over 100 routes, with new links such as Kochi–Bangkok, Indore–Bangkok, Goa (Mopa)–Abu Dhabi, Amritsar–Abu Dhabi, Mumbai–Kuwait, Chennai–Singapore, Hyderabad–Phuket and Bengaluru–Kathmandu. Separately, Air India will start non-stop Delhi–Osaka flights on 2 February 2027.

At a glance: Schedule start: 25 October 2026, rolled out in phases; the season runs to 27 March 2027. Biggest mover: Air India Express, about 585 daily flights, up to 150 of them international. Thailand: new Bangkok flights from Kochi, Indore and Visakhapatnam, plus Hyderabad–Phuket; 30 days visa-free for Indian tourists. Gulf: new Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Kuwait, Riyadh and Bahrain links; a visa is needed. Singapore: Chennai–Singapore twice daily; visa needed. Nepal: Bengaluru–Kathmandu daily; no visa, passport or original voter ID. Japan: Air India Delhi–Osaka from 2 February 2027. Ahmedabad: no new international route confirmed.

What changed on 25 October 2026

Air India Express calls this its largest winter schedule. Reports of its announcement give about 585 daily flights, roughly 435 domestic and up to 150 international, across 65 stations and 220 routes. Weekly flights rise from about 3,150 in Summer 2026 to nearly 4,100 this winter.

The key word is phased. Not every route started on 25 October. Schedule filings reported by AeroRoutes show Kochi–Bangkok and Amritsar–Abu Dhabi from 25 October, and Mumbai–Kuwait and Visakhapatnam–Bangkok from 27 October. For other routes, check the first operating date on the airline's website before you apply for leave or book hotels.

We confirmed each route below against at least two reports of the airline's announcement or its schedule filings. Frequencies are weekly, as reported, and can change.

The new routes, by destination

Thailand: Bangkok and Phuket

• Kochi–Bangkok: 4 flights a week, from 25 October
• Indore–Bangkok: 4 flights a week
• Visakhapatnam–Bangkok: 2 flights a week, from 27 October
• Hyderabad–Phuket: 4 flights a week

UAE: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai

• Goa (Mopa)–Abu Dhabi: 3 flights a week
• Amritsar–Abu Dhabi: 3 flights a week, from 25 October
• Goa (Dabolim)–Dubai: daily
• Chandigarh–Sharjah: 4 flights a week; AeroRoutes reports a break from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027
• Bhopal–Sharjah: 3 flights a week
• Surat–Sharjah: returning in November (see the Gujarat section)
• Lucknow–Ras Al Khaimah: 4 flights a week
• Mangaluru–Ras Al Khaimah: 2 flights a week

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

• Mumbai–Kuwait: 3 flights a week, from 27 October
• Kochi–Kuwait and Mangaluru–Kuwait: 3 flights a week each
• Delhi–Riyadh: 4 flights a week
• Lucknow–Riyadh and Thiruvananthapuram–Riyadh: 3 flights a week each
• Thiruvananthapuram–Bahrain: 2 flights a week

Singapore and Nepal

• Chennai–Singapore: 14 flights a week, the busiest new route on the list
• Bengaluru–Kathmandu: daily

Japan: Air India's Delhi–Osaka

Air India announced in October 2026 that it will fly Delhi to Osaka (Kansai) non-stop from 2 February 2027, four times a week on a Boeing 787-8 with 18 business and 241 economy seats. AI360 leaves Delhi late in the evening and lands the next morning; AI359 leaves Osaka late morning and reaches Delhi the same evening. Bookings are being opened progressively.

Which visa you need for each new destination

• Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket): visa-free for tourism for up to 30 days since 15 September 2026, for ordinary passports. Fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival. Carry a passport valid for six months, a confirmed return ticket and hotel bookings. India's embassy advisory, as reported by News On AIR, also mentions carrying about 20,000 baht in cash. Our Thailand visa-free post has the full checklist.
• UAE (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai): a visa is needed. If you hold a US visit visa or green card, or a UK or EU residence visa valid for six more months, you can get a 14-day visa on arrival. Our UAE visa on arrival post explains it. Everyone else applies in advance.
• Kuwait: a visa is needed. Kuwait's Interior Ministry moved visit visas to an online platform in 2025, but reports differ on which Indian applicants can use it, and many point to GCC residents or holders of US, UK or Schengen visas. Confirm with the official platform or the Kuwait embassy before you buy a ticket.
• Saudi Arabia (Riyadh): a visa is needed. Indians with a valid US, UK or Schengen visa are reported to be eligible for the tourist eVisa. Others usually apply through Saudi-authorised agencies. Check the official Saudi visa portal for current fees and stay length.
• Bahrain: Indians can apply on Bahrain's official eVisa portal, according to several guides. We could not confirm the current fee from an official page, so check the portal.
• Singapore: a visa is needed. Apply through an authorised visa agent or a Singapore mission. ICA advises applying within 30 days before arrival, with a passport valid for six months.
• Nepal (Kathmandu): no visa. By air, carry a valid Indian passport or an original voter ID with photo. Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence and downloaded voter IDs are not accepted.
• Japan (Osaka): residents of India can use the Japan eVISA for single-entry tourism of up to 90 days, filed through the accredited agency (VFS). You can apply from three months before travel. The Embassy lists a ₹500 visa fee for Indian nationals from 1 July 2026, plus the agency's service charge. Our Japan visa post covers documents.

What about Ahmedabad and Gujarat?

We could not confirm any new international route from Ahmedabad in this winter schedule. The Air India Express route lists we checked show only a domestic addition for Ahmedabad, a daily Ahmedabad–Delhi flight. IndiGo and Akasa have not announced an Ahmedabad international launch for this season that we could find.

Surat gets its Sharjah link back. DeshGujarat reports the first Surat–Sharjah flight (IX 275) on 4 November 2026, starting once a week. The airline's winter list shows it at three a week, so check the days on the booking page.

From Ahmedabad, the new routes are one stop away: Mumbai for Kuwait, Delhi for Riyadh and later Osaka, Bengaluru for Kathmandu, and Chennai for Singapore. Book the whole journey on one ticket where you can. If the first flight is late, the airline then has to rebook you.

IndiGo and Akasa this winter

We could not confirm any brand-new IndiGo or Akasa international route starting with the Winter 2026 schedule, so none are listed above. The bigger IndiGo story is a cut. Its leased Boeing 787 flying ends by 31 October 2026. Mumbai–Amsterdam moves to the narrow-body A321XLR from 25 October. London Heathrow is suspended until IndiGo's own wide-body aircraft arrive. If you hold an IndiGo booking to London, check your options with the airline.

Booking these fares: practical tips

• Check the day, not just the route. Most new routes run two to four times a week. Fix the flight first, then your hotel and leave.
• Confirm the start date. The schedule is phased and can still be revised. Don't book a non-refundable hotel for a date before the route's first flight.
• Read the fare type. Low-cost fares often charge separately for checked bags, seats and meals. Compare the total, not the headline fare.
• Avoid tight self-transfers. If you combine a domestic flight and a new international flight on separate tickets, leave several hours between them. A missed connection on separate tickets is your problem, not the airline's.
• Watch Gulf schedules. Flights to West Asia have been changed and suspended at short notice this year. Check flight status a day before you fly.

Visa timing that matches your ticket

• Thailand: no visa, but fill the arrival card only in the 72 hours before landing. Many people fill it too early.
• Singapore: ICA advises applying within 30 days of arrival. Book flights first, then apply, and allow a buffer before you fly.
• UAE visa on arrival: check that your US visa, green card or UK/EU residence visa has at least six months left on the day you land.
• Japan for Osaka: for a trip in early February 2027, the eVISA window opens about three months before, so early November 2026.
• Gulf visas: apply only once your dates are firm, and keep the ticket changeable until the visa is in hand.

Who these routes suit

They suit families in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who want a short Thailand trip without changing planes in a metro. They also suit Gulf workers and their families flying from Goa, Amritsar, Lucknow, Bhopal and Mangaluru, and Bengaluru travellers planning a Nepal break. They are less useful if you need a precise day of travel, because a three-a-week route may not fly on the day you want. A one-stop option on a daily route can then be the better plan.

How Travlys helps

Travlys is a visa consultancy in Ahmedabad that files visas for Indian passport holders, with 5,000+ visas filed and a 98% approval rate. For the destinations above, we file Singapore visas from ₹2,950, UAE visas from ₹2,500 and Thailand visas (for stays or purposes outside the visa-free rule) from ₹1,950. These are service fees; government fees are extra. We also plan holiday packages with hotels and private transfers. WhatsApp us on +91 82009 18967 with your route and dates, and we will tell you what to apply for and when.

Last checked: Routes, schedules and visa rules in this article were checked on 28 October 2026 against the sources listed below. Airline schedules change often, so confirm your flight and the official visa rules before you book or apply.