Air India has yet another first to its credit. After introducing Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the popular Toronto-Delhi sector in August, Air India has now inaugurated its new service between Toronto and Mumbai, creating the only direct air link between Canada’s largest city and India’s financial capital.
Of late, both India and Canada have come closer to each other by stepping up bilateral trade to reach closer to signing free trade agreements by the turn of the year.
Fresh initiatives of Air India have been hailed by the strong Indian Diaspora in Canada as it had been demanding for a long-time better air connectivity between the two long time friendly nations that have strong people-to-people linkages.
The new route boosts connectivity on one of the world’s largest diaspora corridors while supporting growing business, trade, tourism, and investment ties between India and Canada.
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The inaugural flight (AI192) departed Toronto Pearson at 1230 hrs on Sunday with a scheduled arrival in Mumbai at 1410 hrs (local time) on Monday.
New direct service between Toronto and Mumbai has been introduced when exchange of Prime Ministerial visits are on the cards. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected on an official visit to Canada next month while his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney is expected in the Indian capital around India’s biggest festival, the Republic Day.
Air India and Toronto Pearson marked the launch of the service in the presence of government officials including Mahaveer Singhvi, Consul General of India in Toronto, alongside industry stakeholders, travel trade partners, and Air India and Toronto Pearson employees.
Air India’s new Mumbai-Toronto service adds nearly 2,000 seats each week between Canada and India, providing travelers in the Greater Toronto Area direct access to India’s financial capital and convenient onward connections via Mumbai across Air India’s domestic and international network.
Industry data attributed to OAG Traffic Analyzer indicates that approximately 128,000 round-trip passengers travelled between Mumbai and Toronto between June 2025 and May 2026.
The launch comes at a time when India and Canada are also actively seeking to deepen economic engagement, with the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) expected to support efforts to double bilateral trade by 2030, creating new opportunities for businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs across both countries.
Air India’s new Toronto-Mumbai service is operated
interiors, offering eight First Class suites with privacy doors, 40 fully flat beds in Business Class, and 280 Economy Class seats. Guests travelling on this route can also enjoy Wi-Fi connectivity throughout their journey, helping them stay connected while flying across continents.
Air India recently introduced its brand-new Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the daily Toronto-Delhi route, bringing its latest cabin product to Canada and introducing Premium Economy on the route for the first time. Together with the upgraded Boeing 777-300ER operating to Mumbai, these product upgrades will increase Air India’s premium seat capacity between Toronto and India by 71% this winter.
From January 2027, all Air India flights from Toronto Pearson will feature new or significantly upgraded cabin interiors.
Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer, Air India, said: “Canada has long been a cornerstone of Air India’s international network and remains one of our largest overseas markets. As we transform Air India, it is only fitting that our guests from Canada are among the first to experience many of the improvements we are making across our airline. The launch of our new Toronto-Mumbai route, the deployment of our newest aircraft to Delhi, and the significant increase in premium seating capacity together represent our confidence in the market and our commitment to offering a world-class travel experience between Canada and India.”
“This new route is an important addition to Toronto Pearson’s growing global network, providing the only direct connection between Toronto and Mumbai, India’s financial capital,” said Kurush Minocher, Chief Commercial Officer, Toronto Pearson. “The service will strengthen connectivity for travelers, support business and trade between Canada and India, and further enhance Toronto Pearson’s role as a leading international gateway.”
With the addition of Mumbai-Toronto flights, Air India will operate 20 weekly flights between India and Canada during the Northern Winter 2026-27 season, covering Mumbai-Toronto, Delhi-Toronto and Delhi-Vancouver.
The Air India Group – comprising full-service global airline, Air India, and value carrier, Air India Express – is spearheading a new era of Indian aviation. The Air India story began in 1932 when JRD Tata piloted the airline’s inaugural flight and opened the skies for aviation in India. Today, Air India Group employs more than 30,000 people, operates over 300 aircraft and carries travelers to 60 domestic and 51 international destinations across five continents.
Returning to Tata Sons in 2022 following 70 years under Government ownership, Air India Group is in the midst of a five-year transformation programme, Vihaan.AI. As part of the transformation, Air India has placed orders for 600 new aircraft. In addition to taking new aircraft deliveries, Air India is progressively retrofitting all its legacy aircraft.
The Air India Group operates South Asia’s largest aviation training academy in Gurugram, India. The construction of a new flying school and a greenfield maintenance base is in progress.
With transformation underway across all facets of the business and India’s rich legacy of hospitality, Air India is committed to being a world class global airline with an Indian heart.
