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In the wake of a tragic Boeing 787-8 crash that claimed 275 lives, including 34 on the ground, Air India has announced a significant reduction in its international wide-body operations. The airline will cut about 15 per cent of its long-haul services from 20 June through mid-July, citing intensified safety inspections and external operational constraints.

3 International Routes Temporarily Halted

In a press statement issued on Thursday, Air India revealed that flights on three international routes will remain suspended until 15 July 2025. These include the Delhi–Nairobi (AI961/962), Amritsar–London Gatwick (AI169/170), and Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick (AI145/146) services. The Delhi–Nairobi suspension is scheduled to be lifted earlier, on 30 June.

Frequency Slashed on 16 Overseas Routes

The carrier also detailed reductions across 16 other international routes served by its Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft. North America has been most impacted, with Delhi–Toronto dropping from 13 to 7 flights weekly, Delhi–Chicago scaling down from 7 to 3, and Delhi–Washington from 5 to 3 flights per week. Delhi–San Francisco will now operate 7 times weekly instead of 10, while Delhi–Vancouver will reduce from 7 to 5 flights.

In Europe, notable reductions include Delhi–London Heathrow from 24 to 22 weekly flights, and Amritsar–Birmingham and Delhi–Birmingham down from 3 to 2 flights weekly. Delhi–Milan services have been trimmed from 7 to 4, and routes such as Delhi–Paris, Copenhagen, Vienna, and Amsterdam have also seen frequency cuts.

In the Far East, Delhi–Tokyo (Haneda) is down to 6 weekly flights, and Delhi–Seoul (Incheon) is set to operate 3 times weekly from 21 June to 5 July, increasing to 4 flights till 15 July. Australian routes Delhi–Melbourne and Delhi–Sydney have been reduced from daily operations to five flights a week.

The airline assured passengers that it is proactively reaching out to those affected, offering alternatives such as complimentary rescheduling, alternate bookings, or full refunds. Updated schedules are being progressively released via Air India’s website, mobile app, and contact centres.

Air India CEO Confirms Aircraft Was in Good Condition Before Crash

Addressing concerns over the aircraft involved in the Ahmedabad crash, Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson clarified that the Dreamliner was well-maintained and had undergone a major check in June 2023, with the next scheduled for December this year. “Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” Wilson stated in a message to passengers.

He acknowledged the profound grief within the airline over the fatal crash, saying, “The loss of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has left us all in deep sorrow. Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event.”

Wilson affirmed that Air India is “fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy.”

DGCA Clears Safety Protocols, Surveillance On

Following the 12 June crash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), directed enhanced inspections across the airline’s 787 fleet. Wilson confirmed that 26 of the 33 Dreamliners had already cleared these checks, with the remaining undergoing scheduled maintenance. “Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that Air India Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards,” he added.

While the DGCA did raise concerns about Air India’s internal coordination in maintenance, it found no major safety lapses during the enhanced surveillance initiated after the incident.

“Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days,” the CEO explained.

Wilson reiterated that the airline’s decision to cut back operations was made in the interest of safety and schedule stability. “As a confidence-building measure, the airline has elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, its Boeing 777 aircraft, for the time being,” he said. “This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues. We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we’re deeply sorry for any inconvenience.”

(With inputs from PTI)