Flights to India from the US

Quick answer: As of November 2026 the nonstops from the US to India leave from the New York area: Air India flies New York JFK and Newark to both Delhi and Mumbai, and American flies JFK to Delhi. Air India's Chicago and Washington Dulles flights are suspended, so most other US cities connect through New York, Europe or the Middle East. US citizens need a visa before travel, usually the e-Tourist Visa applied for online at least four days ahead, plus the free e-Arrival Card.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

India flights at a glance

Where you can fly in India

Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.

• Flights to Delhi (DEL)11 route guides
• Flights to Mumbai (BOM)7 route guides

Nonstop flights from the US, November 2026

Air India resumed nonstop operations in early November 2026 on its four New York services: JFK to Delhi, JFK to Mumbai, Newark to Delhi and Newark to Mumbai. For several months before that, westbound flights made a stop in Europe, usually Rome, because of airspace closures in the Middle East. Air India has said that strong winter headwinds from January could bring back temporary fuel stops on some flights, so check your itinerary close to departure.

American Airlines flies JFK to Delhi daily on a Boeing 787-9, as of recent schedules. Air India also serves San Francisco to Delhi, on a reduced schedule since mid-2026. Check with the airline for current days.

Some routes you may find in older guides are not flying. Air India suspended Delhi to Washington Dulles from September 2025 and Delhi to Chicago from June 2026, and neither had returned as of early November 2026. United has served Delhi and Mumbai from Newark in the past, but its service was disrupted by 2026 airspace closures and its November 2026 schedule could not be confirmed, so check with United before planning around it.

All four Air India New York services and the American flight land at Delhi Terminal 3 or Mumbai Terminal 2, the two airports' international terminals, so a domestic connection on the same ticket usually stays in the same building in Delhi and Mumbai alike. Check your boarding pass, because domestic flights on other airlines can leave from a different terminal.

Why flight times vary

Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines since April 2025, so Air India's flights take a longer path than US or European airlines on the same city pair. Add 2026's Middle East airspace closures and the result is a schedule that changes more than on most long-haul routes.

As a rough guide, New York to Delhi or Mumbai nonstop takes about 14 to 16 hours, and the trip home usually runs longer against the wind.

Entry rules for US citizens

US citizens need a visa before they fly to India; there is no visa on arrival for Americans. Most travellers use the e-Visa on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in. Apply at least four days before arrival and up to 120 days ahead. Your passport must have at least six months' validity when you apply and at least two blank pages.

The e-Tourist Visa comes in 30-day, one-year and five-year versions, all multiple entry. The 30-day version runs from your first arrival and cannot be extended. On the one-year and five-year versions, total time in India must not exceed 180 days in a calendar year. You must enter through one of the designated e-Visa airports, which include Delhi and Mumbai; check the list on the e-Visa site for other cities.

Since October 1, 2025, India has also required a free e-Arrival Card from foreign nationals, replacing the paper landing card. File it online or in the Su-Swagatam app within 72 hours before your flight. It is not a visa. Use only the government sites: paid look-alike sites charge for both forms.

US citizens of Indian origin who hold an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card do not need a separate visa, but they must still file the e-Arrival Card, and they should carry the OCI card together with the US passport it is linked to. If you renewed your passport since the OCI was issued, check the OCI rules for updating it before you fly.

Connecting from other US cities

From the Midwest, South and West, the common one-stop routes run through New York on Air India or American, through Europe on Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic via London Heathrow, Air France via Paris or KLM via Amsterdam, or through the Middle East on Emirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha or Etihad via Abu Dhabi. Middle East connections were disrupted by airspace closures in 2026, so confirm the schedule before booking.

For Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata or Goa, a one-ticket connection in Delhi or Mumbai, or a European or Gulf hub that flies there directly, avoids changing terminals on separate tickets. In Mumbai, Air India's domestic flights use Terminal 2, while IndiGo's domestic flights use Terminal 1, and some airlines are moving flights to the new Navi Mumbai airport. Check which airport and terminal your ticket uses.

Best and quietest months

October to March is the main travel season, with cooler, drier weather in Delhi, Rajasthan and much of the north. April to June gets very hot, and the monsoon brings heavy rain to Mumbai and the west coast from roughly June to September.

Flights from the US fill up around Diwali in October or November and through the December holidays and early January, when many families visit relatives. The quieter periods are usually late January to March and August to September, outside school holidays.

Booking tips

If you live near New York, the nonstop saves a connection and a second security check. From elsewhere, compare the nonstop plus a domestic flight to New York against a one-stop trip through Europe: the European routing often has better departure times from your home airport.

An open-jaw ticket, into Delhi and out of Mumbai, suits a trip that covers the north and west. Keep everything on one ticket, and allow at least three hours for any self-made connection in Delhi or Mumbai.

Route guides to India

Frequently asked questions