Air India has expanded its connectivity with Japan. The airline will introduce four weekly non-stop flights between New Delhi and Osaka. This will make Air India the only airline operating the Delhi-Osaka route. The service will start in February. Air India will deploy the Boeing 787-8 aircraft on the route.
Air India's New Delhi-Osaka Flight
The new service (AI360) will leave Delhi at 10:50 pm IST. It will arrive at Osaka's Kansai International Airport at 9:50 am local time the next morning. The return flight (AI359) departs Osaka at 11:50 am local time and reaches Delhi the same evening at 6:20 pm IST.
The Delhi-Osaka service will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The return service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
“Air India's Delhi-Osaka flights are being progressively made available for booking via the airline's official website, mobile app, customer contact centre, airport ticketing offices, and travel agents worldwide,” the airline said in a release.
The service will have 18 full-flat beds in Business Class as well as 241 seats in Economy Class.
Osaka is set to be Air India's second destination in Japan after Tokyo. The airline currently operates daily flights from Delhi and four weekly flights from Mumbai to the Japanese capital.
The new service deepens economic, tourism, and cultural ties between India and Japan.
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Why Is The Service Important
The inclusion of Osaka allows tourists to book open-jaw itineraries, enabling them to fly into Osaka and return via Tokyo, or vice versa. The flexibility is especially relevant as multi-city travel is becoming more popular among Indians visiting Japan. Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka form the country's famed “Golden Route,” offering visitors a chance to see some of the country's most popular cultural and historical sites. A direct connection to Osaka would make it easier for tourists to plan any trip to Japan.
India-Japan Tourism
Japan continues to remain a popular tourist destination among Indian travellers. Over 315,000 Indian visitors travelled to Japan in 2025, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO). This was an increase of 35% over 2024 and almost 80% above pre-pandemic levels.
The jump in visitors is being driven by a growing interest in Japan's cultural and culinary experiences as well as increasing business and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
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