Air India cancels Delhi-Paris flight amid technical snag, wider disruptions

Business Standard

6 hours ago

Air India had to cancel its scheduled flight from Delhi to Paris on Tuesday after a fault was identified during routine pre-flight inspections. The airline said the issue, discovered as part of mandatory checks before take-off, is currently under examination and being addressed.
The affected service, flight AI-143 to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport, was unable to depart due to operational constraints posed by night-flight curbs at the French airport. In light of the disruption, the return leg, flight AI-142 from Paris to Delhi scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, has also been cancelled.
'Flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris on 17 June has been cancelled. The mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue, which is currently being resolved. However, due to Paris CDG's night operation restrictions, the flight has been called off,' the airline confirmed with news agency PTI.
Air India added that it is providing hotel accommodation to stranded passengers and is offering either full refunds or complimentary rescheduling to those affected. The airline has also committed to arranging alternative travel plans 'at the earliest' for passengers awaiting onward journeys.
This marks yet another operational hiccup for the Tata Group-owned national carrier, which has experienced a string of flight disruptions over recent days.
Air India Ahmedabad to London flight cancelled
On the same day, flight AI159 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was cancelled due to the unavailability of an aircraft. The airline attributed this to international airspace restrictions and prolonged turnaround times stemming from additional safety checks, not a technical malfunction, as had been speculated.
A spokesperson clarified, 'Flight AI159 has been cancelled today due to aircraft unavailability caused by ongoing airspace constraints and precautionary inspections. It was not due to any technical fault.'
This London-bound service had only recently resumed on Monday, June 16, operating under a new flight code after being suspended following the crash on June 12. The previous iteration of this flight, AI-171, had crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 270 people, including 29 on the ground. In its revived form as AI-159, the route had resumed operations after a five-day suspension, only to face fresh disruption.
The fallout extended further, with Air India also cancelling flight AI-170 from London to Amritsar scheduled for Tuesday, June 17.
San Francisco–Mumbai Air India flight grounded in Kolkata
Meanwhile, in a separate incident the same day, a San Francisco–Mumbai flight, which included a stop in Kolkata, was grounded after a suspected technical issue was detected during post-landing checks. All passengers were safely deplaned in Kolkata.
Several passengers shared mixed accounts of the experience. Some appreciated the airline's efforts in providing food, communication, and hotel stays. Others noted that the lack of clarity and prolonged wait inside the aircraft—lasting up to five hours—added to confusion and discomfort. One passenger reported that the issue appeared to involve the aircraft's left engine and that, despite the delay, there was no panic among travellers.
'These technical faults are part of flying,' a passenger remarked, adding that they had faced similar delays on other international carriers.