Air India cancelled six international flights on Tuesday, all operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. This came amid increased scrutiny of the aircraft model following last week’s tragic crash in Ahmedabad.
THE SIX AI CANCELLED FLIGHTS
The affected flights included AI 915 (Delhi-Dubai), AI 153 (Delhi-Vienna), AI 143 (Delhi-Paris), AI 159 (Ahmedabad-London), AI 133 (Bengaluru-London), and AI 170 (London-Amritsar). Additionally, a Dreamliner operating as AI 315 to Delhi had to return to Hong Kong due to a technical issue.
Earlier in the day, a San Francisco-Mumbai Air India flight experienced a technical problem during a scheduled layover in Kolkata, leading to all passengers deplaning as a safety measure.
The impact extended beyond Air India. Two other Dreamliners, operated by Lufthansa and British Airways, returning from Frankfurt and London to Hyderabad and Chennai, respectively, also went back to their origin airports due to unspecified issues.
THE CANCELLATION EXPLANATION
Air India explained that AI 143 encountered a problem during pre-flight checks in Delhi. “The time taken to resolve the issue would have meant the flight would violate night-time operating restrictions at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport,” the airline noted.
According to ANI, an Air India spokesperson said, “Flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris of 17 June has been cancelled. The mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue which is being presently addressed. However, in view of the flight coming under the restrictions on night operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport, the said flight has been cancelled… We are providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by the passengers. Consequently, flight AI142 from Paris to Delhi on June 17, 2025 also stands cancelled.”
For the cancellation of the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight, Air India mentioned “unavailability of aircraft due to airspace restrictions and extra precautionary checks.”
The series of cancellations and return flights involving Dreamliner aircraft has raised concerns, especially following the June 12 tragedy, when Air India flight AI 171, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed less than 40 seconds after takeoff.
