Air India recently announced temporary changes to its long-haul flights, which are operated by Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft.
The decision was taken after a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which claimed the lives of 241 passengers on board Air India flight AI-171. The Tata Group-owned airline said it will cut its international flights on wide-body aircraft by about 15 per cent from June 21 to July 15, 2025. The aim is to stabilise flight schedules and minimise inconvenience to passengers.
AVI | NEW DELHI | 20/06/2025 AT 08: 30 AM
Routes to be completely suspended (till July 15)
Flights on some routes have been completely suspended:
Delhi-Nairobi (AI961/962) : 4 flights per week
Amritsar-London (Gatwick) (AI169/170) : 3 flights per week
Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) (AI145/146) : 3 flights per week
Routes with reduced frequency (till July 15)
The number of flights on several international routes have been reduced, as follows:
North America
Delhi-Toronto : reduced from 13 to 7 weekly flights
Delhi-Vancouver : reduced from 7 to 5 weekly flights
Delhi-San Francisco : reduced from 10 to 7 weekly flights
Delhi-Chicago : reduced from 7 to 3 weekly flights
Delhi-Washington (Dulles) : 5 to 3 weekly flights
Europe
Delhi-London (Heathrow) : 22 weekly flights from 24
Bengaluru-London (Heathrow) : 6 weekly flights from 7
Amritsar-Birmingham and Delhi-Birmingham : 2 weekly flights from 3
Delhi-Paris : 12 weekly flights from 14
Delhi-Milan : 4 weekly flights from 7
Delhi-Copenhagen : 3 weekly flights from 5
Delhi-Vienna : 3 weekly flights from 4
Delhi-Amsterdam : 5 weekly flights from 7
Australia
Delhi-Melbourne and Delhi-Sydney : Both 5 weekly flights from 7
Far East
Delhi-Tokyo (Haneda) : 6 weekly flights reduced from 7
Delhi-Seoul (Incheon) : 4 weekly flights reduced from 5
Options for passengers
- Air India has taken several measures to provide relief to affected passengers. Passengers have been given the option to reschedule their journey without any additional charge or take a full refund. The airline is trying to accommodate passengers on alternate flights and affected passengers will be informed in advance.
- Air India has assured to inform the affected passengers in advance and offer them rebooking options or a full refund. The airline is also trying to accommodate its international passengers on alternate flights. Air India has apologised to passengers affected by these cuts, saying that these decisions had to be taken due to extended security checks, external factors such as airspace closures and night restrictions at some international airports.
Are you affected by any of these flights, or do you have any other questions about Air India’s service cuts?
Reason for change
Air India said that this reduction has been done due to the voluntarily introduced pre-flight security checks and increased flight time due to the closure of the Middle East airspace. Apart from this, night flight restrictions at some international airports and general technical problems have also complicated the situation.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a message sent to passengers that additional security checks are being done on Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft to restore confidence. Given the time taken for these investigations, the airline decided to make this temporary cut in its international network.
Maintenance and Investigation
Wilson also clarified that the crashed aircraft was well maintained and its last major check was in June 2023. The accident is currently under investigation, and the airline is fully cooperating.
Government’s stand
After this incident, the government has decided to further strengthen regular reviews on operational matters with airlines. This step is being taken to prevent such incidents in future and enhance aviation safety.
Air India’s apology
Air India has apologized to the passengers for the inconvenience caused by these changes. The airline said in its statement that it is prioritizing the safety and convenience of passengers and is working to restore normal schedules as soon as possible.
This step may be inconvenient for the passengers, but Air India says that these changes are necessary to ensure safety and reliability. Affected passengers are advised to check their flight status and avail available options.
Rference from : https://www.moneycontrol.com/
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