New Delhi: Air India has proclaimed a temporary reduction of 15 percent in its international flights functioning by wide-body aircraft, effective immediately and continuing until mid-July 2025.
According to various media reports, the pronouncement comes in the wake of sharp safety inspections following the tragic crash of Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad last week, which resulted in the loss of 241 lives.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated thorough inspections of Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, of which 26 out of 33 have already cleared safety checks.
The scope of inspections has also been expanded to include the Boeing 777 fleet. Moreover, operational challenges such as night curfews in European and East Asian airspace, airspace restrictions over the Middle East, and crew duty limitations have further impacted scheduling. In the past six days alone, 83 international flights have been cancelled.
Air India stated that this reduction will allow the airline to maintain a buffer of aircraft to minimise last-minute disruptions and ensure operational stability. Affected passengers will be offered complimentary rebooking or full refunds.
The airline is expected to release an updated flight schedule on June 20. The move highlights Air India’s effort to reinstate certainty in its operations and prioritise safety amid ongoing soundings into one of the country’s worst aviation disasters in recent years.
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