New Delhi : Air India has announced a temporary curtailment of its international flight services, reducing operations by 15% on widebody aircraft from now until at least mid-July. Notably, this comes after an Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, shortly after takeoff.
In a post on X, Air India wrote, Due to 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, there have been certain disruptions in our international operations over the last 6 days leading to a total of 83 cancellations.”
The airline also noted that these temporary cuts will also serve to increase the availability of reserve aircraft, allowing for smoother handling of any unplanned issues that may arise. It added that the route curtailment was a necessary and measured step under the current circumstances. Regarding the inconvenience faced by the passengers, the airline wrote on X, “Air India apologises to the passengers affected due to these curtailments, and will inform them in advance and make its best efforts to accommodate them on alternate flights. Passengers will also be offered a choice to reschedule their travel without any cost or to be given a full refund, as per their choice.
Air India also commented on the Ahmedabad crash and said that investigations into the cause of the recent accident are still underway, with authorities working to determine the exact reasons behind the incident. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed enhanced safety inspections of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet. It added that of the total 33 aircraft, 26 have already undergone thorough checks and have been cleared to return to service, the airline wrote.
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