Air India will fly Delhi to Osaka nonstop from February 2027, its second city in Japan

Air India is adding a second city in Japan. The airline says it will fly nonstop between Delhi and Osaka's Kansai International Airport from February 2, 2027, four times a week. Air India says no other airline flies the route nonstop.

Until now, Air India's only Japanese stop has been Tokyo-Haneda. It flies there daily from Delhi and four times a week from Mumbai. The new route gives travelers from north India a direct way into western Japan, home to Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.

The details are in Air India's announcement, released on October 15.

The schedule

According to Air India, the flights will run on these days, in local time:

• AI360, Delhi to Osaka: leaves at 10:50 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and lands at 9:50 a.m. the next day
• AI359, Osaka to Delhi: leaves at 11:50 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and lands at 6:20 p.m.

That is a classic red-eye out of Delhi. You board late, sleep, and arrive in Osaka in the morning with a full day ahead. The return is a daytime flight that gets you home for dinner.

Air India says tickets are being rolled out across its website, app, call centers, airport offices and travel agents. If you can't find a seat yet, check again in a few days.

The plane and the cabin

The route will use a Boeing 787-8. Air India says this version carries 18 lie-flat Business Class seats and 241 Economy seats. There is no Premium Economy on this plane.

Eighteen Business seats is a small cabin, so expect award space and upgrades to be tight, at least at first. Air India has been refitting its older widebody jets, and the condition of its cabins has been uneven. We looked at that in what is going wrong at Air India. The release does not say whether this route will use a refitted 787-8, so check the seat map before you book.

Open-jaw trips through Japan

Air India points out one useful idea: fly into Osaka and home from Tokyo, or the other way around. Many first-time visitors travel Japan's "Golden Route," which links Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka by fast train. With both cities now on Air India's map, you can book a one-way trip across the country without doubling back.

The airline also cites Japan's tourism board for a strong rise in Indian visitors. It says more than 315,000 Indians went to Japan in 2025, up 35 percent from the year before.

Where to wait in Delhi

Air India's international flights leave from Terminal 3 at Delhi. Business Class travelers and Star Alliance Gold members can use The Maharaja Lounge, Air India's own lounge. It has a cocktail bar and showers, which helps before a late-night flight.

If you have Priority Pass, the Encalm Lounge (International T3) is one of the better card lounges in India, with showers and a full bar. DragonPass holders can try Encalm Privé, the most polished lounge in the terminal by our ratings.

Where to wait in Osaka

International flights at Kansai leave from Terminal 1. Air India has not said which lounge its Business Class guests will use. In our directory, the KIX Lounge Kansai accepts Star Alliance lounge access, so it is the likely choice for Star Alliance Gold members. Priority Pass members can use Airport Cafe Lounge NODOKA, which has showers.

What else Air India is doing

This route follows Air India's expanded partnership with Singapore Airlines, announced earlier this month. We also covered Air India's recent Sydney and Riyadh news. For more on the airline, its hubs and its fleet, see our Air India page.