Air India finds no issues in fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 fleet, says airline official
Air India has concluded inspections of the fuel control switch locking mechanisms in its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. According to an airline official, the inspections were completed on Wednesday. The airline reported that no issues were discovered during the checks, ensuring the continued safe operation of its Dreamliner aircraft.
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Mint
12-08-2025
- Mint
Attention flyers! Now get new direct flights to Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan — check details
Frequent flyers in India can celebrate some new international routes effective from September 2025, as airlines announced multiple new direct flights to Thailand (Akasa Air), and Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan (IndiGo). Meanwhile, Air India has stopped a direct flight to Washington DC (US), due to fleet retrofit. We bring you all the details, to keep track. In its first foray into Southeast Asia, low-cost carrier Akasa Air has launched direct flights from Mumbai to Phuket in Thailand, effective from September 20, 2025. Notably, this is the sixth international destination for the three-year-old airline which began operations on August 7, 2022. It currently flies to Abu Dhabi (UAE), Doha (Qatar), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait City (Kuwait), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Domestic carrier IndiGo has announced new international routes from next month, with four weekly flights each from Mumbai to Tashkent and Mumbai to Almaty. This comes after the airline launched Mumbai to Tbilisi (Georgia). In an official release on August 12, IndiGo said that it will fly four weekly direct flights connecting Mumbai to Tashkent in Uzbekistan and Almaty in Kazakhstan, effective from September 1 and 2, 2025 respectively. These routes had been previously suspended in April following operational constraints due to the Pakistan airspace closure. Air India will suspend flights between the Indian and US national capitals Delhi to Washington DC from September 1, due to non-availability of Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes amid a retrofit drive, PTI reported. The route had five weekly flights, which will be impacted. The airline said the move comes due to a 'combination of operational factors to ensure reliability of its overall route network'. The retrofit of the legacy 26 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner planes is expected to be completed by July 2027. Air India said that passengers with bookings to or from Washington DC beyond September 1 will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including re-booking on other flights or full refunds, as they prefer. per their individual preferences. The statement from AI said that customers will continue to have options of one-stop flights to Washington DC via four US gateways — New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco.
Economic Times
11-08-2025
- Economic Times
Air India to halt non-stop Delhi–Washington flights from September amid fleet retrofit, Pakistan airspace closure
Synopsis Air India will halt its Delhi-Washington, D.C. non-stop flights from September 2025 due to fleet retrofits and airspace restrictions. The airline is retrofitting its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, causing aircraft unavailability until late 2026. Pakistan's airspace closure adds to operational challenges, impacting long-haul routes. Affected passengers will be rebooked or refunded, while one-stop connections via other U.S. cities remain available. IANS Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday said it is suspending its services between Delhi and Washington, D.C., effective from September 1, 2025, due to a combination of operational factors. Air India will suspend its non-stop services between Delhi and Washington, D.C. from September 1, 2025, citing operational constraints linked to a major fleet retrofit programme and ongoing airspace airline said the decision was taken 'to ensure the reliability and integrity of Air India's overall route network' as it began retrofitting 26 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners last month. 'This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least end of 2026,' it the challenge, the 'continued closure of airspace over Pakistan impacts the airline's long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity.'Affected passengers booked beyond September 1 will be contacted for alternative travel arrangements, which could include 'rebooking on other flights or full refunds, as per their individual preferences.' Air India will continue offering one-stop connections to Washington, D.C. via New York (JFK), Newark, Chicago, and San Francisco through interline agreements with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. These partnerships allow customers to 'travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination.'Air India is navigating a multifaceted operational crisis. Since the June 12 crash of Flight 171, the airline has undergone stringent DGCA-mandated safety inspections of its Dreamliner fleet, prompting widespread cancellations and a temporary 15 % reduction in wide-body international operations through mid-July. Regulatory scrutiny has intensified following the airline receiving multiple formal warnings over lapses in crew fatigue management, training, and maintenance protocols. Further complicating the landscape are network constraints from ongoing aircraft retrofits and regional airspace closures, notably over Pakistan, which have disrupted routes like Delhi–Washington and further strained fleet the Washington suspension, the airline said, it will maintain non-stop flights to six other North American destinations, including Toronto and Vancouver, alongside U.S. cities such as New York, Newark, Chicago, and San move comes as Air India executes its five-year transformation plan following its return to the Tata Group in 2022. The carrier has placed an order for 570 new aircraft and is progressively upgrading interiors across its fleet. The 787 retrofit is part of this overhaul, which also includes a new flying school in 2025 and a greenfield maintenance base set to open in airline has not announced when the Washington service will resume, with the timing likely dependent on retrofit progress and any changes in overflight restrictions.
The Hindu
11-08-2025
- The Hindu
Air India to suspend Delhi-Washington D.C. flights due to shortage of Dreamliners, other factors
Air India will suspend flights between the national capital and Washington D.C. from September 1, mainly due to non-availability of multiple Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes as the legacy aircraft fleet is undergoing retrofit. The Tata Group-owned airline, which currently operates five weekly flights from Delhi to Washington using the Dreamliner, on Monday (August 11, 2025) said the decision has been taken on account of a combination of operational factors to ensure reliability of its overall route network. Air India to suspend services to Washington, D.C. from September 1. — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 11, 2025 'The suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in Air India's fleet, as the airline commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month. This extensive retrofit programme, aimed at significantly enhancing customer experience, necessitates a prolonged unavailability of multiple aircraft at any given time until at least end of 2026', Air India said in a statement. "That, coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, impacts the airline's long-haul operations, leading to longer flight routings and increased operational complexity," Air India said says. Following the closure of the Pakistan airspace, Air India's Delhi-Washington flights have a stopover at Vienna and the total flight duration, including the stopover time, is around 19 hours. On the return leg, there is no stop enroute and the flight duration is about 15 hours. The airline said passengers having bookings to or from Washington D.C. beyond September 1 will be contacted and offered alternative travel arrangements, including rebooking on other flights or full refunds, as per their individual preferences. At present, apart from Washington, the airline operates non-flights to six destinations in North America -- New York, Newark (EWR), Chicago, San Francisco (U.S.), Toronto and Vancouver (Canada). Currently, Air India has a fleet of around 190 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The retrofit of the legacy 26 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner planes is expected to be completed by July 2027. "Air India customers will continue to have the options of one-stop flights to Washington D.C. via four U.S. gateways -- New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago, and San Francisco – with the airline's interline partners, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary with their baggage checked through to the final destination," the statement said. In the wake of the fatal crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane enroute to London Gatwick from Ahmedabad on June 12, the airline, which has embarked on an ambitious five-year transformation plan, has made changes to its network, including withdrawal of flights on five overseas routes. The airline, on Sunday, said that starting in early 2027, it will additionally retrofit 13 of its legacy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, aiming for completion by October 2028, with the timeline having shifted due to supply chain delays.
