Air France-KLM adds flights, resists Mumbai split, eyes SAF

Air France-KLM will increase weekly flights from India from 42 to 54 in the winter schedule starting November 2026, with 27 flights each by Air France and KLM. The carrier connects Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru to Paris and Amsterdam, and is marking 70 years of operations between Delhi and Amsterdam. The airline reported double-digit revenue growth in premium segments in the first half of 2026, and said India is a strategic market.

The airline is resisting Adani Airport's push to shift a third of Mumbai operations to Navi Mumbai. General manager Stefan Gumuseli told Livemint and Business Standard that splitting long-haul operations between two airports serving the same catchment area would be 'impossible operationally'. The airline would consider moving only if the existing airport closes or reduces capacity to an unviable level. Cargo operations will move to Navi Mumbai.

KLM senior vice president Zita Schellekens told CNBC-TV18 and The Economic Times that India has 'tremendous potential' as a SAF producer, but the group 'hardly does any direct investments', though off-take agreements are possible if demand is sufficient. A study by Boeing and RSB released on 29 September gave India a 52 percent readiness score for SAF adoption. India has set SAF blending targets of 1 percent by 2027 and 5 percent by 2030.

Update, 3 October 2026: Business Standard now also reports Air France-KLM's resistance to splitting Mumbai operations, quoting Stefan Gumuseli saying the airline would move only if the existing airport's capacity falls to an unworkable level. It confirms the flight expansion to 54 weekly frequencies and that cargo will shift to Navi Mumbai, consistent with earlier reports.