Latest news with #Boeing787-8Dreamliners
Cedar News
a day ago
- Business
- Cedar News
Air India To Suspend Washington Flights
Air India will suspend its non-stop Delhi–Washington, DC service from September 1, citing a shortage of aircraft due to an ongoing retrofit programme and operational challenges from the continued closure of Pakistan's airspace. The airline is upgrading 26 of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners under a $400 million overhaul to improve reliability and customer experience, which will keep several planes grounded until at least late 2026.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- 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.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India to halt non-stop Delhi–Washington flights from September amid fleet retrofit, Pakistan airspace closure
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 restrictions. The 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 added. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Compounding 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. Live Events 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 availability. Despite 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 Francisco. The 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 2026. The airline has not announced when the Washington service will resume, with the timing likely dependent on retrofit progress and any changes in overflight restrictions.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Air India to halt Delhi-Washington direct flights from Sept 1: Here's why
Air India will suspend its non-stop service between Delhi and Washington, DC, from September 1, citing aircraft shortages from a major cabin retrofit programme and operational challenges caused by the continued closure of Pakistani airspace. The Tata Group-owned carrier said the decision was necessary 'to ensure the reliability and integrity' of its overall route network. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners upgrades, Pak airspace closure The airline said 26 of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners are undergoing upgrades to enhance passenger comfort, with some aircraft to remain out of service until late 2026. The airspace closure has lengthened flight times on certain long-haul routes, adding pressure to schedules. 'Coupled with the continued closure of airspace over Pakistan, which impacts long-haul operations by forcing longer routings, the retrofit has made it operationally challenging to maintain the Delhi–Washington service,' the airline said. Air India one-stop connections to Washington still active Passengers booked on the route beyond September 1 will be contacted and offered alternatives, including rebooking on other flights or full refunds, Air India stated. While the non-stop option will cease, Air India will maintain one-stop connections to Washington via New York, Newark, Chicago, and San Francisco through partner carriers. Non-stop flights to six other North American destinations, including Toronto and Vancouver, will continue. No safety concerns in Boeing aircraft: Campbell Wilson Last week, Chief Executive Campbell Wilson said that inspections of the Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 737 fleets found no safety concerns, adding that the retrofit programme remains on schedule.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Air India to upgrade critical components of 26 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to improve reliability
Tata Group-owned Air India announced on Sunday, 10 August 2025, that the airline is set to upgrade its 26-aircraft fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to increase reliability and reduce operational disruptions. 'As part of a Reliability Enhancement Programme, Air India will be upgrading the avionics and other critical components of the 26 legacy B787-8 aircraft up to the latest industry standards, thus improving their reliability,' said Air India in its official announcement. According to the official announcement, the company will analyse the maintenance and configuration records for these aircraft as part of its programme. 'Additionally, seven of the 26 B787-8s will undergo heavy, scheduled maintenance (D-checks) at Victorville, ensuring the fleet's long-term operational excellence,' said the company in the official filing. Air India's Dreamliners' 26 B787-8 aircraft and seven 787-9 aircraft had undergone checks, including that of fuel switches, after the fatal crash of the London Gatwick Air India flight, which crashed moments after take off from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people on 12 June 2025. Under the $400 million fleet retrofit programme announced in December 2022, the Tata Group-owned airline has now started the retrofit of the first legacy Dreamliner, which was flown to a Boeing facility in Victorville, California, in July 2025. 'A second aircraft is scheduled to depart for the same facility in October 2025, with both expected to return to service in December 2025,' said the airline on Sunday. Additionally, the airline said seven of the 26 B787-8s will undergo heavy, scheduled maintenance (D-checks) at Victorville, ensuring the fleet's long-term operational excellence. The retrofit of the legacy Dreamliners is expected to be completed by mid-2027. The retrofitted planes will have three-class configurations: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy Class seats. 'Starting in early 2027, Air India 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,' said the company. Air India has around 190 narrow-body and wide-body planes. The airline's retrofit programme for 27 legacy A320 neo aircraft that commenced last September is expected to be completed in September this year. So far, 16 A320neo aircraft have been retrofitted. Air India has also decided to retrofit its 13 legacy A321 ceo planes that were earlier planned to be taken out of service. (With agency inputs from PTI)
