At least 13 Air India Dreamliner flights, including one of the Ahmedabad London routes, which rebooted after the fatal crash on June 12, were based on regulatory checks and airspace closures in some sectors continued to destroy airline schedules due to technical or operational issues on Tuesday.
The Civil Aviation Administration (DGCA) Department said the 66 Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight, which has been cancelled by the airline since June 12, has been cancelled amid 83 cancellations, including the airline's wider widebody fleet. On June 12, the airline operated 90 widebody flights, of which 50 were 787 seconds. Of these, six have been cancelled, including five from Dreamliner.
Certainly, such cancellations are nothing new to the airline. According to figures released in Congress, Air India averaged four cancellations per day for technical or operational reasons in 2024, based on data up to September.
Regulators held a high-level meeting with Air India and Air India Express officials on Tuesday, saying the airline “currently operates more than 1,000 flights daily in the national and international sectors.”
The airline has been told by air regulators to step up safety checks on the Dreamliner fleet after crash on Thursday, but a team of investigators from India, the US and UK, Boeing and engine maker GE are in Ahmedabad to investigate the reasons behind the accident.
Among the flights cancelled on Tuesday was the Dreamliner Air India Flight AI-159, which was originally scheduled to depart Ahmedabad at 1:10pm. The airline added that the withdrawal set, which was delayed at 3pm, was cancelled due to “any aircraft available,” and the jet intended to fly the route arrived late from London. Airspace restrictions and additional preventive checks have led to delays in aircraft conversions, a spokesman said, denying claims of technical obstacles.
“As a result, the flight AI-170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar on June 17th has been cancelled,” the spokesman added.
The AI-159 is a new designation for Air India on Flight 171. It was this flight (Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner) that crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday.
HT reported on June 14 that Air India will withdraw flight number 171 for Ahmedabad London Gatwick and replace it with 159.
The airline had warned on June 13 that a wave of Israel's attacks on Iran and, as a result, airspace closures could affect flight schedules.
According to the DGCA, 24 of the company's 33 Dreamliners had undergone these checks as of Tuesday. “Two additional aircraft are planned for completion today, with one more planned tomorrow. The remaining six include two aircraft, which are currently Delhi's AOG,” the DGCA said in a statement. AOG refers to “ground aircraft,” a jet that is not temporarily used. This could be due to maintenance work.
Another 7 flights were delayed. This affected two return flights as jets used in the sector were put on hold due to safety checks or route-related issues.
Among these were the AI-143s from Delhi to Paris, which were cancelled after the time required to address issues identified during mandatory pre-flight checks were identified. “The mandatory pre-light checks have identified issues currently being addressed, but the flight has been cancelled considering flights that are subject to restrictions on night operations at Paris Airport,” the airline said. As a result, the AI-142, a return flight from Paris to Delhi, was also cancelled on June 18th.
The AI-180 from San Francisco to Mumbai via San Francisco to Kolkata ended in Kolkata after one of its engines developed a technical failure. The Boeing 777-200LR had 211 passengers. The AI-179 on the way back from Mumbai to San Francisco has also been cancelled. Airlines typically operate direct flights on this route, but ongoing geopolitical issues, including the closure of Pakistan's airspace, have rerouteed the flights with planned technical outages in Kolkata.
Other cancellations include Delhi Dubai (AI-915), Bengaluru London Heathrow (AI-133), and Delhi Vienna (AI-153). Additionally, flights to Delhi Indore Deli, Delhi Trivandulum Deli, Delhi Mumbai Deli and Delhi Hyderabad Deli have been cancelled due to weather reasons.
Safety expert Mohan Ranganathan said multiple disruptions are expected given the situation. “The airline has lost one Dreamliner aircraft in the crash. It has undergone all B787 checks that take several hours to get operational clearance. Because of Plo, airspace in Pakistan and Iran will be closed, leading to crew hours restrictions. This will definitely have a major impact on the network.”
The airline said it is making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination while providing hotel accommodations and offering a full refund on cancellations and free rescheduling to affected passengers.
