Air India To Cut International Services By 15% Amid Ongoing Safety Checks On Boeing 787 Fleet
Last Updated:
Air India has cancelled 83 flights to be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner between June 12 – the day of the Ahmedabad plane crash – and June 18
Amid multiple flight cancellations or delays following the plane crash in Ahmedabad, Air India on Wednesday said it will reduce international services on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent.
Air India said this is to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers. It has cancelled 83 flights to be operated with Boeing 787 between June 12 – the day of the crash – and June 18. The cuts will be implemented by June 20 and will continue till 'at least mid-July".
'…Air India has decided to reduce its international services on widebody aircraft by 15% for the next few weeks. The cuts will be implemented between now and 20 June and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July. This effectively adds to our reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions," Air India said in a press release.
Air India apologised to affected passengers and said they will be informed 'in advance and make its best efforts to accommodate them on alternate flights". It said in such cases, passengers will be eligible for rescheduling without cost or a full refund.
'Passengers will also be offered a choice to reschedule their travel without any cost or to be given full refund, as per their choice. The revised schedule of our international services effective from 20 June, 2025 will be shared shortly," it added.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner – the model type of the crashed Air India flight 171 – is a widebody aircraft. These large commercial airliners can accommodate two passenger aisles and are designed for long-haul and high-capacity routes, mostly international, with the capacity to carry between 200 and 500 passengers.
Air India said it has made temporary route curtailment due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew in the airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, the ongoing enhanced safety inspections, and 'cautious approach" by the engineering staff and Air India pilots.
It said concerned agencies are probing the reasons for the plane crash on June 12, which claimed 241 lives on board. The Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) had mandated 'enhanced safety inspection" across Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet.
The airline service said out of 33 aircraft, inspections have been completed on 26 and these were cleared for service. The remaining aircraft will be inspected in the coming days while the Boeing 777 fleet will also undergo enhanced safety checks, it said.
First Published:
June 18, 2025, 23:15 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Air India to cut overseas flights on wide-body aircraft by 15% at least till mid-July
Representative Image NEW DELHI: Air India will reduce its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15% with immediate effect "at least" till mid-July, reports Saurabh Sinha. AI operates about 70 international flights daily on its wide-body fleet. Multiple factors, including airspace closures, have increased flying times to and from the west and enhanced checks on Boeing 787s since AI 171 crash last Thursday have reduced twin aisle availability. The math was worked out thus: AI operated 462 flights on its wide-body fleet of Boeing 787s, B777s & Airbus A350s between June 2 and 17 while canceling 83 flights in that period. Which means 15.2% of the 545 flights that were to be operated were cancelled inconveniencing passengers. Taking that ratio and aligning schedules to actual capacity to mount flights, AI has cut wide body flights by 15%. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Air India reduces international services on wide-body aircraft by 15%
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], June 19 (ANI): Air India has reduced its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks. The decision comes after the tragic loss of 241 lives on board Air India-171 flight, which crashed in Ahmedabad. According to an official statement by Air India, the cuts will be implemented between June 18 and 20, and will continue until at least mid-July. The decision has been taken to add to the airlines' reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions. Air India has given its passengers a choice to either reschedule their travel without any cost or to be given a full refund, while the airline is attempting to accommodate its international passengers on alternate flights. The revised schedule of Air India's international services, effective from June 20, will be shared shortly, said the official statement. Offering condolences to the families of the deceased in the plane crash, the airlines said, in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Government of Gujarat, Air India is making efforts to support the family members of the deceased and the injured. Air India and Tata Group volunteers are deputed in Ahmedabad for coordination with family members for any assistance at the hospitals and for them to travel back to their respective homes with the mortal remains of the deceased, the official statement by the airlines said. Giving an update regarding the investigation into the crash, Air India said that the investigating authorities are continuing their efforts to find out the reasons for the accident. The DGCA had mandated 'Enhanced Safety Inspection' across Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet. Out of total 33 aircraft, inspections have now been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days. The statement said, 'As a matter of added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet and, going forward, we will continue to cooperate with the authorities, viz AAIB, DGCA, MoCA to ensure the safety of our passengers, our crew and our aircraft, which remains our highest priority.' Earlier on Wednesday, Air India and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran publicly expressed his sorrow over the London-bound Air India flight crash on June 12, finally breaking his silence after the tragedy during an interview with Group Editor-in-Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar. In an exclusive interview on The NewsHour with Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran said that the airline was doing everything possible to support the victims' families and that there were no words to console the grieving families, but he pledged that the company would stand with them now and in the future as well. 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' the Tata Sons Chairman stated. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Singapore Airlines offers condolences to families of victims in AI-171 plane crash
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group issued a statement extending condolences to the families of the victims in the Air India-171 plane crash. The statement came after Praful Patel, Former Union Aviation Minister and Working President of the NCP, questioned the airlines' silence. The airlines said in an official statement, 'The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group extends our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of everyone affected by the devastating Air India flight AI171 accident. We have been in close contact with our partner Tata Sons and Air India, and continue to offer our full support and all necessary assistance to them during this difficult time.' Earlier, Praful Patel shared an X post holding Singapore Airlines accountable. Patel questioned the airline's silence, even though Singapore Airlines is responsible for maintaining many of Air India's wide-body aircraft. Sharing the X post, Patel said, 'In all the sorrow and din surrounding the Air India crash, there remains a surprising silence -- or perhaps ignorance -- about the role of a substantial shareholder, and the entity responsible for maintaining a large number, if not all, of Air India's wide-body aircraft. Guess the name: Singapore Airlines.' Patel alleged that the airlines are hiding, while they have a share in the management of Air India. 'They seem to be in hiding. Let's not forget -- they have a say in management and a codeshare agreement with Air India. Importantly, Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India, is a nominee of Singapore Airlines. He previously served as CEO of their low-cost subsidiary, Scoot Airlines. Why this deafening silence, SQ?' the post read. Meanwhile, Air India and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Wednesday publicly expressed his sorrow over the London-bound Air India flight crash on June 12, finally breaking his silence after the tragedy during an interview with Group Editor-in-Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar. In an exclusive interview on The NewsHour with Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran said that the airline was doing everything possible to support the victims' families and that there were no words to console the grieving families, but he pledged that the company would stand with them now and in the future as well. 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them, and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' the Tata Sons Chairman stated. (ANI)
