After Crash, Air India Cuts International Services On Wide-Body Planes By 15%
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After Crash, Air India Cuts International Services On Wide-Body Planes By 15%
Air India cuts down on use of its wide-body planes for international flights by 15 per cent. The cuts will be implemented between now and 20 June and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July. On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane from Ahmedabad to London crashed, killing 241 people on board and more than 30 on the ground. It had been the worst air crash in the country in decades.
In a statement today, the company said of their 33 Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft, the “Enhanced Safety Inspection” mandated by civil aviation watchdog DGCA have been completed on 26. These, Air India said, have been “cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days”.
“As a matter of added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet,” the carrier said.
There have been multiple cancellations of international flights in view of the “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 also the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, the company said.
Over the last six days, 83 flights have been cancelled.
“Given the compounding circumstances that Air India is facing, to ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and to minimise inconvenience to passengers, Air India has decided to reduce its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks,” the statement read.
On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane from Ahmedabad to London crashed soon after take-off, killing 241 people on board and more than 30 on the ground. It had been the worst air crash in the country in decades.
“Air India remains in mourning on the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew members aboard flight AI171. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and communities affected by the accident,” the statement read.
Air India to cut international flights on widebody aircraft by 15%
Air India will cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15% for the next few weeks. Airline cites ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week’s deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Flight AI171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one on board and about 30 people on the ground.
Air India said on Wednesday it will cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15% for the next few weeks, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week’s deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash of flight AI171, which killed 241 people and marked the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
The airline said in a statement that inspections had been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, and those 26 have been cleared for service.
The cuts, effective until at least mid-July, were being implemented “to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” the Tata Group-owned airline said.
The remaining planes will be checked in the coming days and additional checks are also planned for its Boeing 777 fleet, Air India added.
Flight AI171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one on board and about 30 people on the ground.
Earlier on Wednesday, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the flight that crashed had a clean engine history.
In an interview with Indian broadcaster Times Now, Chandrasekaran said Air India flight 171’s right engine was new and installed in March 2025, and that the left engine was last serviced in 2023.
The Dreamliner was fitted with GE Aerospace’s GE.N GEnx engines.
Air India also cited geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and “night curfews in many European and East Asian airspaces” as contributing factors behind flight cancellations, which have totaled 83 over the past six days. — Reuters
Air India to cut international flights on widebody aircraft by 15%
Air India has seen operational disruptions recently, with at least 83 of its international flights cancelled over the last six days. The Tata Group-owned airline also said it would undertake enhanced safety checks of widebody Boeing 777 aircraft. On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff, killing 241 people onboard and many others on the ground.
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In a statement, the Tata Group-owned airline also said it would undertake enhanced safety checks of widebody Boeing 777 aircraft as a matter of added precaution.
Air India has seen operational disruptions recently, with at least 83 of its international flights cancelled over the last six days.
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On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff, killing 241 people onboard and many others on the ground.
In the statement issued late in the evening, Air India said there have been disruptions due to the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew in airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, and there are ongoing enhanced safety inspections.
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Necessary cautious approach is being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, it said. “Given the compounding circumstances that Air India is facing, to ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and to minimise inconvenience to passengers, Air India has decided to reduce its international services on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks,” the statement said.
Details about the exact number of flights that will be impacted could not be immediately ascertained.