Air India announced international flight cuts this week, reducing widebody operations by 15% until mid-July as the carrier navigates safety inspections and regional tensions that affect flights and force costly route diversions.
Fatal Crash Triggers Safety Reviews and Cancellations
The crisis began on June 12 when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of 242 people aboard. This news prompted Indian aviation regulators to order comprehensive safety inspections of the airline’s entire 787 fleet.
Air India flight cancellations have mounted rapidly, with 83 flights canceled over six days as the carrier implements enhanced safety protocols. Though India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation reported inspections revealed “no major safety concerns,” flight safety concerns continue disrupting international operations.
Air India has also announced additional safety measures for its Boeing 777 fleet.
Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
Regional Conflicts Force Route Diversions
Beyond safety inspections, Air India faces mounting challenges from airspace restrictions. The escalating Israel-Iran conflict has created airspace closures, forcing longer, more expensive flight paths. Pakistan’s earlier closure of its airspace to Indian carriers following regional tensions compounds these routing challenges.
“Due to the emerging situation in Iran and parts of the Middle East, the subsequent closure of airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, some of our flights are operating on alternative extended routes,” Air India said in a post on X.
Photo by StockSnap from pixabay
Impact on Passengers
The 15% reduction means fewer flight options and potentially higher fares during the summer travel season. Air India is offering free rebooking or full refunds for affected passengers, but the reduced schedule could create bottlenecks on popular international routes.
Air India described the cuts as “a painful measure to take, but are necessary following a devastating event which we are still working through and an unusual combination of external events.” This indicates the carrier expects to restore normal service levels by mid-July, assuming no further complications from ongoing investigations or regional conflicts.
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*Banner photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
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