If you're part of the Punjabi diaspora planning a trip home in 2026, the flight routing has shifted more than usual this year, with a new Amritsar connect product, schedule changes on the Canada routes, and ongoing Gulf connections. Here's a country-by-country breakdown of what's actually available right now.
Quick answer: The UK has the most direct option — nonstop flights to Amritsar. Canada and the US currently route through Delhi (with a new Amritsar-based connect option worth asking about). The Gulf has strong direct service into both Amritsar and Chandigarh. Australia typically connects via Delhi or Southeast Asia.
Canada
There is currently no direct nonstop flight to Amritsar from Canada. Here's what the routing actually looks like:
- Air India's daily Delhi–Toronto nonstop resumed on 1 August 2026, flown on a 787-9, after the airline dropped its earlier routing via Vienna. This is noted as "subject to available airspace," so it's worth reconfirming close to your travel date.
- Earlier in 2026, Air India had cut Delhi–Vancouver to about 5 times a week and Delhi–Toronto to about 7 times a week, citing fuel prices and Middle East airspace disruption. The point here isn't the exact numbers so much as the pattern: this route's schedule changes fairly often, so always reconfirm frequency and timing close to your departure date.
- Air Canada flies Toronto–Delhi daily. As of our last check, Air Canada does not operate a direct Vancouver–Delhi flight.
- There's real, documented demand for a direct Canada–Amritsar route — it has been raised in the Canadian House of Commons by at least one MP — but no airline has committed to launching one yet.
Most Canadian travellers today fly into Delhi, then either take a short domestic connection to Amritsar or arrange a direct road transfer. See our NRI taxi service from Canada page for the Delhi-to-Punjab road transfer option.
United Kingdom
The UK is the one market with genuine direct options into Punjab:
| Flight | Route | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| AI169 | Amritsar – London Gatwick | About 3x per week |
| AI117 | Amritsar – Birmingham | About 3x per week |
This is particularly useful for Midlands and London Punjabi communities who can land directly into Amritsar without a Delhi stopover. See our NRI taxi service from UK page.
United States
There's no direct US–Amritsar flight. However, Air India's new "Easy Connect" product, launched from Amritsar on 28 July 2026, is worth knowing about: it lets you clear Indian immigration at Amritsar and then connect through Delhi to an international flight without changing terminals. One of the two key flights, AI1115, departs Amritsar at 22:00 and is timed for onward connections to JFK, Newark, San Francisco, and Chicago.
Since this is a newly launched product as of 2026, we'd advise confirming the current routing and connection details directly with Air India before you book. See our NRI taxi service from USA page.
Australia
Air India flies Delhi–Melbourne. From Amritsar, the typical routing for Australian travellers is via Delhi, or alternatively a one-stop connection through Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, depending on the carrier you choose. See our NRI taxi service from Australia page.
Gulf (UAE and nearby)
This is the most direct and frequent international link into Punjab for Gulf-based travellers. Both Chandigarh and Amritsar have solid Gulf connections:
- Chandigarh (IXC): primarily Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi
- Amritsar (ATQ): Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Doha (Qatar Airways)
See our NRI taxi service from UAE page.
What's the best way to plan the road transfer once I land?
Whichever airport and route you end up flying through — Delhi, Amritsar, or Chandigarh — the most reliable approach is to pre-book your taxi on WhatsApp with your flight number before you travel. We track your flight on our end, so even if your long-haul connection runs late or your Delhi–Amritsar domestic hop is delayed, your driver adjusts pickup time accordingly and waits at arrivals with your name on a board. We've been doing exactly this for Punjabi families since 1980, run out of Ludhiana by the same family that started the business.
FAQ
Q: Is there a direct flight from Canada to Amritsar? A: Not currently. Travellers route via Delhi or, in some cases, via other hubs. There's diaspora demand for a direct route but no confirmed launch yet.
Q: Which country has the best direct flight option to Punjab? A: The UK, with nonstop Air India flights to both Amritsar and Birmingham route wise via Gatwick, roughly 3 times a week each.
Q: What is Air India's Easy Connect from Amritsar? A: A product launched 28 July 2026 that lets passengers clear Indian immigration at Amritsar airport and connect through Delhi to international flights without a terminal change, useful for US and Europe connections.
Q: Do Gulf flights go to Amritsar or Chandigarh? A: Both. Chandigarh connects mainly to Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi; Amritsar adds Doha on top of those three.
Q: Should I book my Punjab taxi before I fly? A: Yes — pre-booking on WhatsApp with your flight number lets us track your flight and have a driver waiting, with the first 2 hours of wait free for delays.
Pick the country page above that matches where you're flying from for route-specific details, or WhatsApp us directly with your flight details for a fixed quote on the road transfer.