Air India's new direct flight from Delhi to Rome Fiumicino
Air India has inaugurated the new non-stop flight between Rome (Fiumicino FCO) and Delhi (Delhi DEL), operating four times a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Indian flag carrier thus returns to serve the capital after almost six years, expanding its presence in the European market.
The inaugural flight AI123 took off from Delhi at 13:15 and landed in Rome at 18:55 (local time). The return AI122 connection departs from Fiumicino at 20:50 and arrives in Delhi at 09:00 the following day.
Schedules and aircraft
The flights are operated with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, configured in two classes:
- 18 seats in Business Class with lie-flat seats,
- 241 seats in Economy Class.
The timetable has been designed to facilitate connections via Delhi to numerous destinations in India and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, allowing passengers departing from Italy easy access to Air India's domestic and international network. For passengers departing from Rome Fiumicino Airport, the new flight represents a direct opportunity to reach India and continue to major Asian destinations via the Delhi hub.
The new connection strengthens flows between the two countries, which in 2025 recorded bilateral trade of more than $14 billion, with consolidated relationships in the engineering, automotive, fashion and design sectors. Italy is also home to one of the largest Indian communities in Europe, with over 200,000 residents of Indian origin, contributing to the demand for direct connections.
With the opening of the Rome–Delhi route, Air India consolidates its European network which now includes direct flights to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Rome becomes Air India's eighth gateway in continental Europe.
The Air India Group
The Air India Group includes the global full-service airline Air India and the value carrier Air India Express. The history of Air India began in 1932, when JRD Tata piloted the company's inaugural flight and opened the Indian skies to aviation. Today, the Air India Group flies more than 300 aircraft to 59 domestic destinations and 51 international destinations on five continents. In 2024, sister airlines Air Asia India and Vistara merge into Air India Express and Air India, respectively. While purchasing new aircraft, Air India proceeds to complete the interior renovation of all existing aircraft.
