PANAJI:
Air India will resume flights from London Gatwick to Amritsar and Ahmedabad in its Winter 2025–26 schedule, but Goa has been left out. Bookings for the Goa–Gatwick sector have been withdrawn, confirming the route will not operate this season.
The airline had recently reopened bookings for a thrice-weekly service between Goa’s Mopa Airport and Gatwick, starting 26th October 2025, using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Analysts say the decision reflects Air India’s ongoing challenge to deploy its limited widebody fleet on routes that guarantee year-round profitability. While cities like Amritsar and Ahmedabad see strong demand from visiting friends and relatives, Goa’s seasonal, leisure-driven traffic has proven harder to sustain.
Earlier, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanavade had urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to reinstate the suspended direct flight, highlighting its importance for Goans traveling to the UK, particularly for employment. The flight had been suspended in June 2025, following the Ahmedabad plane crash.
