Air India Expands Canada Service With a New Toronto-Mumbai Route and Upgraded Aircraft

A New Toronto-Mumbai Nonstop

Starting October 25, 2026, Air India will fly a seasonal nonstop service between Toronto and Mumbai three times per week, running through March 26, 2027. It will be the only airline offering a direct connection between the two cities this winter, which is a nice win for anyone with family or business ties to Mumbai who would otherwise be routing through Delhi or a Gulf hub.

The route will be flown by an upgraded Boeing 777-300ER featuring eight First Class suites with privacy doors, 40 lie-flat Business Class seats, and 280 Economy seats. Onboard WiFi is included, too.

New Aircraft on the Toronto-Delhi Route

Air India also began flying its new Boeing 787-9 on Toronto-Delhi as of August 1, marking the first time Canadians will get to experience the airline's latest cabin products.

Of the 10 weekly Toronto-Delhi flights this winter, seven will operate on the new 787-9. The remaining three will start out on the 777-300ER before switching over to the 787-9 in January 2027 as more of the new aircraft join the fleet. Once that is done, every Air India flight in and out of Toronto will feature either new or significantly upgraded cabins.

All told, the airline is adding roughly 4,400 seats per month between Canada and India this winter, and boosting premium seat availability from Toronto by about 71%.

If you are connecting onward, Air India's hubs in Mumbai and Delhi open up a long list of Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ludhiana, and Vadodara.

What the New Cabins Are Actually Like

Source: Air India.

Here is where the upgrade gets interesting, because the two aircraft on the Toronto routes offer noticeably different experiences.

Source: Air India.

The new Boeing 787-9 is the headline product. It flies in a three-cabin layout: lie-flat Business Class in a 1-2-1 configuration, Premium Economy at 2-3-2, and Economy at 3-3-3. Business travellers get a nearly 80 inch flatbed, a 17 inch 4K touchscreen with Bluetooth headphone pairing, wireless charging, and an amenity kit with loungewear and slippers. Premium Economy is a real step up from Economy, with a 38 inch seat pitch, a calf rest, and a 13.3 inch 4K screen. Even in Economy you get a 32 inch pitch and an 11.6 inch 4K screen with Bluetooth audio. Air India also leans into wellness touches on this aircraft, including mood lighting that shifts through the flight to help with rest and HEPA filtration that captures well over 99% of airborne nasties.

Source: Air India.

The upgraded Boeing 777-300ER, which flies the Toronto-Mumbai route and some early-winter Delhi rotations, adds something the 787-9 does not: a true First Class. It carries eight First Class suites in a 1-2-1 layout, each a full flat bed with a generous 82 inch pitch, a 23 inch wide seat, and a 23 inch entertainment screen. Alongside that are 40 full flat bed Business Class seats, also 1-2-1, and 280 Economy seats at 3-4-3. So if a First Class suite is on your bucket list, the 777 is the one to look for.

Book It With Aeroplan Points

Here is the part points collectors will want to note. Air India and Air Canada are both members of Star Alliance, which means you can book Air India flights between Canada and India using Aeroplan points. Because Air India is a partner airline rather than Air Canada's own metal, these redemptions price out on Aeroplan's fixed partner award chart rather than the dynamic pricing you see on Air Canada flights. That is good news, because fixed pricing is stable and predictable, which makes a partner redemption much easier to plan in advance.

The best part is that the rates are the same whether you fly out of Toronto or Vancouver, and whether you are headed to Delhi or Mumbai. One way from Canada to India runs:

• Economy: 60,000 Aeroplan points plus fees
• Business Class: 90,000 Aeroplan points plus fees
• First Class: 150,000 Aeroplan points plus fees

For a lie-flat Business Class seat on a brand new aircraft, 90,000 points one way to India is a solid use of Aeroplan. And First Class at 150,000 points is available if you want to splurge, though there is a catch worth knowing. Air India's First Class only exists on the Boeing 777-300ER. On the Toronto-Mumbai route the 777 flies all season, so First is on the table the whole time. On Toronto-Delhi, though, the 777 is being phased out in favour of the 787-9 starting in January 2027, and the 787-9 has no First Class cabin. So if First Class to Delhi is the goal, you will want to book while the 777 is still flying the route.

Air Canada flies its own nonstop between Toronto and Delhi as well, daily and year-round, on a Boeing 777 with 1-2-1 lie-flat Business Class, a 2-4-2 Premium Economy cabin, and 3-4-3 Economy. Having both carriers on the route gives Aeroplan members more dates and more award space to work with, which is always welcome on a popular long-haul like this one.

One quick reminder I always come back to: do not go buying points speculatively. Only pick them up when you have a specific redemption in mind.

My Thoughts

Source: Air India.

For me, the Toronto-Mumbai nonstop is the real headline here. Mumbai has long been one of those routes where Canadians almost always had to connect, so having a direct option, even a seasonal one, is a meaningful upgrade. Pair that with brand new 787-9s on the Delhi route and the fact that you can put it all on Aeroplan, and this shapes up to be a strong winter for anyone with ties to India. If you are chasing the best onboard experience, keep the aircraft type in mind: the 787-9 has the newest everything, but the 777-300ER is where you will find an actual First Class suite.

The Bottom Line

Air India is putting real investment into its Canadian routes this winter, with a new seasonal Toronto-Mumbai nonstop, its newest 787-9 aircraft on Toronto-Delhi, and a solid bump in premium seating. And because both Air India and Air Canada sit inside Star Alliance, Aeroplan members have two good ways to reach India on points. If India is on your radar this winter, it is worth keeping an eye on award space early.

Happy travels!