Air India announced on Wednesday a 15% reduction in its international operations for widebody aircraft over the next few weeks, attributing the decision to ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week’s tragic crash involving one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The crash of flight AI171 resulted in 241 fatalities, making it the deadliest aviation disaster worldwide in the past decade.
In a statement, the airline reported that safety inspections had been completed on 26 out of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, with all 26 cleared to return to service. Air India plans to implement these cuts until at least mid-July, stating that the measure aims to ensure operational stability, improve efficiency, and minimize inconvenience for passengers.
The remaining aircraft will undergo inspections in the coming days, and the airline has also scheduled additional checks for its Boeing 777 fleet. Flight AI171, which was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of nearly all passengers and crew on board as well as approximately 30 individuals on the ground.
Earlier on Wednesday, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran revealed in an interview with Times Now that the aircraft involved in the incident had a clean engine history. He noted that the right engine was new, having been installed in March 2025, while the left engine was last serviced in 2023. The Dreamliner is equipped with GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines.
Furthermore, Air India pointed to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and night curfews in various European and East Asian airspaces as factors contributing to flight cancellations, which have totaled 83 in just the past six days.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/air-india-to-cut-15-of-widebody-international-flights-amid-dreamliner-safety-inspections-13898430.html
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2025-06-19 00:44:00
