Top News

Flight Disruptions at Air India

Mumbai: Air India has announced the cancellation of three international flights on Wednesday due to various issues, including maintenance and technical difficulties.

Notably, two of these flights were called off after passengers had already boarded, according to the airline's statement.

The Toronto-Delhi flight AI188 scheduled for June 18 was cancelled because of extended maintenance, which led to the operating crew exceeding their regulatory flight duty time limits.

Passengers who had boarded the aircraft were disembarked following the cancellation.

Additionally, flight AI996 from Dubai to Delhi on June 18 was also cancelled due to technical problems, with passengers disembarked after boarding.

Moreover, flight AI2145 from Delhi to Bali was cancelled mid-flight after the airline received warnings about a volcanic eruption near Bali, prioritizing passenger safety. The flight safely returned to Delhi, and all passengers were disembarked.

Air India has stated that its ground teams are working to arrange alternative travel for affected passengers as quickly as possible.

Passengers will receive full refunds or complimentary rescheduling options due to the cancellations.

The airline has indicated that it expects further disruptions in its operations due to ongoing enhanced checks on its Boeing 787 fleet, along with airspace restrictions and adverse weather conditions.

Following the tragic crash of a B787-8 that resulted in 241 fatalities on June 12, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation mandated increased surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, which includes 26 787-8 and seven 787-9 aircraft.

Since the Ahmedabad incident, Air India has cancelled 66 flights involving the Boeing 787 between June 12 and June 17, citing technical issues as the reason for multiple cancellations and delays.

During a review meeting with senior officials from Air India and Air India Express, the aviation safety regulator DGCA expressed concerns regarding recent maintenance issues and recommended that the airline enhance coordination among its engineering, operations, and ground handling teams, ensuring sufficient spare parts are available to reduce passenger delays.

However, the DGCA noted that recent inspections of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not uncover any significant safety issues.

The aircraft and maintenance systems were found to comply with current safety standards, as stated in a post-review meeting announcement by the DGCA.