To check Air India flight status, go to airindia.com and open Flight Status (airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html). Enter the flight number and travel date to see live on-time, delayed or cancelled status with scheduled and estimated times. You can do the same in the Air India app under My Trips.
Updated June 2026 · HappyFares
A quick Air India status check before you head out can turn a stressful airport dash into a calm one. If the flight is delayed, you would rather know from your sofa than from the departures board. This guide covers the official way to check Air India flight status, how it differs from a PNR check, the alerts Air India sends, and which live trackers are safe to use. Note that Vistara has fully merged into Air India, so former Vistara flights are now Air India flights.
How to check Air India flight status
Air India publishes live flight status free on its website and app, and you do not need a booking to look up a flight by number. The official tool is airindia.com → Flight Status (airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html). It shows on-time, delayed or cancelled status, plus scheduled versus estimated departure and arrival times and gate details where available.
The simplest method is to enter the flight number and travel date. This works whether or not you are the passenger, which is ideal when you are tracking a flight for family or picking someone up.
On the Air India website
- Open airindia.com and select Flight Status from the Manage menu.
- Enter the flight number and choose the travel date.
- Submit to see live status, scheduled and estimated times, and terminal or gate information where published.
On the Air India app
The Air India app shows the same live status on your phone. Open the app and go to My Trips to pull up a booked flight, or use the flight-status lookup with the flight number and date. The app keeps your itinerary handy, so checking status takes a couple of taps. For your boarding pass, see our Air India boarding pass download guide.
Flight status vs PNR status — what’s the difference?
These are two different checks, and confusing them is the most common slip-up. Flight status is about the aircraft and the schedule. PNR status is about your individual booking. You will often want both: one to know if the flight is on time, the other to confirm your seat and fare are intact after any change.
Flight status = the flight itself: on-time, delayed or cancelled, scheduled versus estimated times, and the terminal or gate. It is identical for everyone on the flight, and a booking is not required — just the flight number and date.
PNR status = your booking: confirmed, cancelled or rescheduled, plus your seat and fare. You check it under My Bookings/Manage Booking by entering your 6-character PNR with your last name. For a step-by-step, see our Air India PNR status check guide and the general PNR status check guide for India.
Simple rule: to know whether the plane departs on time, use flight status; to know whether your ticket is fine after a schedule change, use PNR status. To then change or modify the reservation, use the Air India manage booking guide.
Status alerts (SMS, email and WhatsApp)
Air India sends status updates to the contact details on your booking, so the single best thing you can do is enter the correct mobile number and email when you book. When a flight has a schedule change, delay or cancellation, Air India notifies passengers by SMS and email.
Keep your contact details current in Manage Booking, because alerts only reach you if your number and email are right. If you book through an agent or travel platform, make sure your own phone and email are on the reservation, not the agent’s, so the notifications come straight to you. A mistyped digit is the usual reason a delay alert never arrives.
As a backstop, note your flight number and check airindia.com Flight Status or a trusted tracker a few hours before departure. That way you are not depending on a single alert reaching your phone.
If your Air India flight is delayed or cancelled
If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you have defined rights under India’s DGCA passenger-rights framework. Depending on the delay length and timing, these can include rebooking on the next available flight, a refund, or meals and refreshments during long airport waits. The exact entitlement depends on the cause and how long the delay runs.
On refunds, one fact is reassuring: statutory taxes and the user-development/airport fees are returned even on otherwise non-refundable tickets — only the airline’s base fare may be forfeited, per DGCA refund norms. For what you can claim and how, read our guides on flight delay compensation in India and your rights when a flight is cancelled last minute.
Practical step: as soon as a cancellation alert lands, check your PNR status to see whether Air India has already rebooked you, then decide between the new flight and a refund.
Legit live flight trackers (and copycats to avoid)
Independent trackers give you a useful second opinion, particularly for live aircraft position and inbound-aircraft delays that cascade into your flight. Use the established names: Flightradar24 (flightradar24.com), FlightAware (flightaware.com) and AirNav Radar / RadarBox (airnavradar.com). They track Air India flights in real time by flight number.
Watch out for lookalike domains. Copycats such as “flightradar24live.com” are not official — they borrow the name to capture clicks or data. Rely only on the canonical domains above, the airport’s own website, or, for Adani-operated airports, the Adani One app. For your specific flight, airindia.com Flight Status remains the authoritative source.
For a broader look at tracking tools and how they work, see our overview on how to track flight status in India.
If you’re tracking a former Vistara flight
Vistara has fully merged into Air India, so flights that once ran under Vistara are now Air India flights with Air India flight numbers. Check them the same way: enter the current Air India flight number and date on airindia.com Flight Status. If you are holding an old reference, use Manage Booking with your PNR and last name to confirm the current flight details.
If you’re picking someone up at the airport
You do not need their PNR — just the flight number and date. Check airindia.com Flight Status or a live tracker for the estimated arrival time and terminal, then refresh about an hour before landing, since arrival times and gates can shift when the inbound aircraft is delayed.
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Search Flights on HappyFares →Common questions
Can I check Air India flight status without a PNR?
Yes. Use the flight-number and date option on airindia.com Flight Status, and you will see live status without any booking. You only need a PNR when you want details tied to your specific reservation under Manage Booking.
What’s the difference between Air India flight status and PNR status?
Flight status is about the flight — on-time, delayed or cancelled, with scheduled and estimated times. PNR status is about your booking — confirmed, cancelled or rescheduled, plus your seat and fare. Use the flight number for one and your PNR plus last name for the other.
Are former Vistara flights checked on Air India now?
Yes. Vistara has fully merged into Air India, so those flights now carry Air India flight numbers. Check them on airindia.com Flight Status with the current Air India flight number and date, the same as any other Air India flight.
How will Air India notify me of a delay or cancellation?
Air India sends SMS and email alerts for schedule changes, delays and cancellations to the contact details on your booking. Keep your phone number and email accurate in Manage Booking, and as a backstop, check the flight number on airindia.com before you travel.
Which flight trackers are safe to use for Air India flights?
Use Flightradar24 (flightradar24.com), FlightAware (flightaware.com) and AirNav Radar (airnavradar.com), plus the airport’s own site. Avoid lookalike domains such as “flightradar24live.com” — they are copycats, not the official trackers.
Disclaimer: Airline fees, fare rules, and policies change frequently and vary by fare type, route, and timing. The figures and structures described here are indicative — always confirm the exact charge shown at the time of cancellation, change, or seat selection, or on the airline’s official website. For the latest fares, book on HappyFares.
