Ahmedabad Crash Aftermath: 7 Air India International Flights Cancelled Amid Enhanced Safety Checks On Boeing 787 Dreamliners

New Delhi: Air India has been grappling with a series of flight disruptions due to technical issues, safety inspections, and airspace restrictions. On Tuesday, multiple international flights were cancelled, including Delhi-Paris and Ahmedabad-London services. The passengers on the San Francisco-Mumbai flight were forced to deplane during a stopover in Kolkata after a technical snag was detected.

The Delhi-Paris flight, operating under flight number AI143, was grounded after engineers flagged an undisclosed issue during mandatory pre-flight checks. Air India stated that the decision to cancel was influenced by nighttime operational restrictions at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. The passengers affected by the cancellation were offered hotel stays, complete refunds, or the option to reschedule at no extra cost.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and are making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination at the earliest,” Air India said in a statement. The return flight AI142 from Paris to Delhi on June 17 was also cancelled.

Air India’s Ahmedabad-London flight, operating under the new code AI159, was cancelled due to aircraft unavailability resulting from airspace restrictions and extended turnaround times due to additional safety inspections. The airline dismissed speculation that a technical fault was behind the decision, reiterating that alternative travel arrangements, refunds, or rescheduling options were being provided.

An Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai suffered a technical snag early Tuesday, following which passengers were asked to deboard during a scheduled halt at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. The technical issue was detected when routine post-landing checks were performed, and a problem with the left engine was discovered.

Other flights cancelled on Tuesday included:

• Bengaluru-London Flight: Air India flight AI133 from Bengaluru to London was preemptively cancelled due to aircraft unavailability after government-mandated inspections across the Boeing 787 fleet.
• London-Amritsar Flight: Flight AI-170 from London (Gatwick) to Amritsar on June 17 was also cancelled due to Iran’s shutdown of its airspace.
• Delhi-Dubai and Delhi-Vienna Flights: AI 915 Delhi-Dubai and AI 153 Delhi-Vienna were also cancelled on Tuesday by Air India.