Air India cancels hundreds of flights in wake of plane crash

Telegraph

5 hours ago

Air India has cancelled hundreds of flights after stepping up safety checks in the wake of last week's plane crash that killed more than 270 people.
The carrier said that around 15pc of long-haul services will be scrapped between now and mid-July as part of a broader inspection of its fleet of Boeing jets.
This will include carrying out checks on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. It was this model that crashed 30 seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Air India said that enhanced safety inspections ordered by India's aviation regulator will also be extended to its larger Boeing 777 planes 'as a matter of added precaution'.
The carrier said the decision to cancel flights reflected 'the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots'.
Out of 33 Dreamliners in the Air India fleet, 26 have so far been examined and cleared for service, something the company said should provide 'reassurance' about its safety procedures.
It added: 'The investigating authorities are continuing their efforts to find out the reasons for the accident.'
However, Air India said it will now have a pool of reserve aircraft 'to take care of any unplanned disruptions' after 83 flights were cancelled over the past six days.
It comes as Air India's owners seek to bolster confidence in the carrier following the crash involving London-bound Flight 171, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board, together with dozens more on the ground.
N Chandrasekaran, chairman of both Air India and its owner Tata Group, said it could be a month before preliminary results from the ongoing inquiry into the country's worst air disaster in almost three decades are known.
He said: 'There are speculations about human error, speculations about airlines, speculations about engines, maintenance, all kinds.
'But the fact that I know so far, is this particular aircraft, this specific tail, AI-171 has a clean history.'
Mr Chandrasekaran said the 'histories' of both of the plane's engines were also 'clean.'
Experts have highlighted engine failure as a possible cause of the tragedy after a mayday message from the plane mentioned a loss of power, thrust and lift.
Mr Chandrasekaran told India's Economic Times that the 787's right-hand engine was new and installed in March, while the left engine was serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance check in December.
He also defended the flight's captain and first officer, who had amassed 11,500 and 3,400 flying hours, respectively.
He said: 'What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So we can't jump to any conclusions.'
Tata purchased Air India out of state ownership in 2022, with Singapore Airlines taking a 25pc stake after merging its own Indian carrier Vistara into the airline.
Mr Chandrasekaran confirmed that Singapore Air serviced some Air India 787s but rejected claims that it had sought to distance itself from the crash.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, assisted by American and British teams, is analysing the plane's voice and data recorders, known as black boxes, and has yet to comment on any findings.