In the event you’ve been retaining half an eye fixed on Air India‘s sluggish rebuild, the Delhi to Toronto route simply landed one in all its largest upgrades but.
From August 1, 2026, Air India is placing its new factory-built Boeing 787-9 on the route, making it a day by day nonstop in each instructions and eventually killing off that awkward refuelling cease in Vienna.
For Canadians flying to India, that is simply one of the crucial tangible wins to return out of Air India’s fleet overhaul. It is also an amazing Aeroplan redemption, so let me stroll you thru what’s altering, what the cabins are like, and the way I would really ebook it.
Every day, Nonstop, and Three Hours Shorter
Two issues change right here. How usually the flight runs, and the way it will get there.
Air India is bumping Delhi to Toronto from 5 flights every week as much as a day by day service, and the westbound leg lastly goes absolutely nonstop.
Thus far, that flight needed to cease in Vienna to refuel, which dragged the journey out to round 20 hours. Drop the cease and also you’re right down to about 17 hours, so that you’re shaving off shut to 3 hours proper there.
The eastbound Toronto to Delhi leg was already nonstop at round 16 hours, and nothing adjustments there.
It is a single day by day rotation. Listed below are the precise timings.
| Flight | Plane | Route | Departs | Arrives | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI187 | Boeing 787-9 | Delhi to Toronto | 1:35am | 8:50am | ~17 hours, nonstop |
| AI189 | Boeing 777-300ER | Delhi to Toronto | 12:00pm | 10:35pm | ~20 hours, through Vienna |
| AI188 | Boeing 787-9 | Toronto to Delhi | 12:30pm | 2:05pm (subsequent day) | ~16 hours, nonstop |
All occasions are native, and the brand new 787-9 nonstop begins August 1.
That is the improve we first flagged again in April. The marquee day by day flight, AI187, now runs on the brand new 787-9 nonstop, and it is the one to ebook in order for you the brand new cabins and the shorter journey.
Simply know that Air India nonetheless runs a 777-300ER on the route as nicely, flying as AI189. Pull up its particulars and you may see it routes by way of Vienna, which is what stretches the journey previous 20 hours.
Contained in the New 787-9 Cabins
The cabins are what make this value caring about. Air India’s factory-built 787-9 seats 296 individuals throughout three courses, a totally completely different world from the drained two-class layouts nonetheless flying on loads of the older fleet. These are the identical next-generation seats Air India fitted to its retrofitted 787-8s.
Enterprise Class
Up entrance, you get 30 Elevate Ascent suites in a 1-2-1 format, so no person’s climbing over a seatmate to succeed in the aisle. Every one has a sliding door, 42 inches of pitch, a totally flat 79-inch mattress, a 17-inch 4K display screen, and wi-fi charging. When our staff received an early have a look at these suites, the footwell felt a contact tight and storage was slightly restricted, however truthfully the product holds its personal in opposition to the large worldwide carriers.
Premium Economic system
The center cabin is the half I would flag for many Canadians. The 787-9 has 28 premium financial system seats in a 2-3-2 format with 38 inches of pitch, and that is the primary time Air India has ever put premium financial system on a route between Canada and India.
Economic system
Down the again, there are 238 financial system seats, every with a 4K seatback display screen and each USB-A and USB-C charging. Our overview of Air India’s new enterprise class on the A350 got here away impressed, and the 787-9 carries the identical fashionable feel and appear.
A part of a $70 Billion Overhaul
It is value zooming out right here, as a result of this one route is a small piece of a large guess. For the reason that Tata Group took Air India again into personal arms in 2022, the airline has been pouring cash right into a full turnaround.
In 2023, Air India positioned one of many largest plane orders in aviation historical past, 470 jets from Airbus and Boeing value round $70 billion (USD) at checklist costs. It adopted that up with one other 100 Airbus plane in 2024, and the order ebook contains new A350s, 787 Dreamliners, and 777X widebodies nonetheless to return.
On high of all the brand new metallic, Air India dedicated $400 million (USD) to retrofit its older 787s and 777s, the identical program that is placing these new cabins onto the remainder of the widebody fleet. It is also inducting new A350-900s and opening a flagship lounge in Delhi.
So the Delhi to Toronto improve is not a one-off. It is one seen results of an airline spending at a scale we hardly ever see, and there is a lot extra on the way in which.
Reserving Delhi to Toronto with Aeroplan
Here is the place it will get enjoyable for factors collectors. Air India sits on Aeroplan‘s mounted distance-based companion chart, which implies predictable pricing and, better of all, zero gas surcharges.
Toronto to Delhi is about 7,500 miles, which drops it into the 6,001 to eight,000 mile band on Aeroplan’s North America to Atlantic chart. India lives in Aeroplan’s Atlantic zone, so that is the chart you are working with.
After the June 2026 chart replace, that band runs 90,000 Aeroplan factors a technique in enterprise class, or 60,000 factors a technique in financial system. Double these for a spherical journey, so 180,000 in enterprise or 120,000 in financial system.
Firstclass is its personal story. The 787-9 does not have a primary cabin, so the one technique to ebook first on this route is the older 777-300ER, the place Aeroplan costs 150,000 factors a technique. It is the legacy product reasonably than the brand new suites, however the possibility is there in order for you it.
And since it is mounted pricing, you skip the dynamic pricing video games that may ship different choices method above the chart. In a single search I pulled, Air Canada’s personal nonstop was asking 256,000 factors for enterprise class on this precise route, which makes the flat 90,000 on Air India appear like a steal.
For context, we worth Aeroplan factors at 2 cents every at Prince of Journey, so 90,000 factors is round $1,800 (CAD) of worth. Money enterprise class fares to India usually run a number of thousand {dollars}, so that you’re getting quite a bit to your factors right here, particularly with nothing tacked on for surcharges.
The one value to recollect is Aeroplan’s $39 (CAD) companion reserving price, which kicks in on any itinerary with a non-Air Canada companion like Air India. Past that, taxes and costs are gentle.
There’s one restrict value understanding. Aeroplan solely costs premium financial system awards on Air Canada flights, not on companions. In order good as Air India’s new premium financial system cabin is, you’ll be able to’t ebook it as a premium financial system award by way of Aeroplan. Need that center cabin? You are paying money.
Delhi is one in all Air India’s two most important hubs, so you are not caught ending your journey there. You may tack on a stopover in Delhi for simply 5,000 factors, or join straight by way of to Mumbai, Bengaluru, or Goa on the identical ticket.
Simply control the entire distance, as a result of an extended home add-on can bump you into the subsequent pricing band. For most individuals, a fast Delhi stopover to interrupt up the journey is the simple name.
Air India has usually been respectable about releasing award house to Star Alliance companions, and going day by day ought to solely make that simpler. I am going to normally scan the United Airways calendar to identify house, then jump over to aircanada.com to really ebook it.
In the event you’re chasing enterprise class, examine the very fringe of the schedule round 355 days out, or hold looking forward to last-minute seats within the closing few weeks earlier than departure.
Ought to You Maintain Out for the New Plane?
On this route, the play is easy. E-book AI187, the 787-9 nonstop, and also you’re on the brand new product. AI189 nonetheless flies the older 777-300ER with its Vienna cease, so it is the one to keep away from until its timing occurs to go well with you.
In every single place else, you will need to listen. Air India nonetheless has 25 extra Dreamliners to work by way of, and loads of routes will hold flying the outdated product for some time. On something aside from Delhi to Toronto, examine your plane sort earlier than you get your hopes up.
And if you happen to’re not beginning in Toronto, the latest Air India and WestJet interline partnership makes it simpler to attach in from different Canadian cities.
My sincere take? That is now probably the greatest methods to get to India from Canada. Paying money, the brand new premium financial system is the candy spot on consolation and value. Utilizing factors, enterprise class at a flat 90,000 is the transfer.
Conclusion
Air India’s turnaround has been a sluggish grind, however that is the type of improve you really really feel. A day by day nonstop, a contemporary cabin, and an actual premium financial system possibility is a giant step up from what Canadians had even a 12 months in the past.
If India’s wherever in your radar, that is the hall to look at. I would ebook the 787-9 in enterprise with Aeroplan factors at that flat 90,000 fee the second my dates lined up, and I would fortunately pay money for premium financial system if I wished the center cabin.
