Air India Cancels 66 Dreamliner Flights Amid Safety Checks, Airspace Closures Post Deadly Ahmedabad Crash

At least 13 Air India Dreamliner flights, including one on the Ahmedabad-London route that was reinstated after a fatal crash on 12 June, were grounded on Tuesday due to technical or operational issues, as regulatory inspections and airspace closures across some routes continued to disrupt the airline's operations.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that Air India had cancelled 66 Boeing 787 Dreamliner services since 12 June, the type of aircraft involved in the crash, reported Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: PTI

In total, 83 wide-body aircraft flights were cancelled. On the day of the crash, the airline operated 90 wide-body flights, of which 50 were Dreamliners. Six of these were cancelled, five being 787s.

Cancellations of this nature are not unprecedented. Parliamentary data indicates that in 2024, Air India averaged approximately four flight cancellations per day owing to technical or operational reasons, based on information available up to September.

A high-level meeting was convened by the DGCA with senior officials from Air India and Air India Express on Tuesday, where it noted that the carriers are "currently operating over 1,000 flights daily across domestic and international sectors."

Following the crash, the regulator directed Air India to carry out enhanced safety inspections on its fleet of Dreamliners. Investigators from India, the US, and the UK, along with representatives from Boeing and engine manufacturer GE, are in Ahmedabad to examine the cause of the accident.

One of the grounded flights on Tuesday was Air India Flight AI-159, a Dreamliner that had been scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad at 1:10pm.

After a delayed departure time was set for 3pm, the flight was ultimately cancelled due to the "unavailability of the aircraft", according to the airline.

The aircraft intended for the route had arrived late from London. A spokesperson explained that "airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks had led to a delay in the turnaround of aircraft," adding, "Flight AI-170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar of 17 June stands cancelled."

AI-159 is the new designation for flight 171, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport last Thursday, resulting in the deaths of 241 out of 242 passengers and crew, as well as at least 30 individuals on the ground or in the surrounding area.

According to an HT report on 14 June, Air India withdrew the flight number 171 for the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick route and replaced it with 159.

On 13 June, the airline had warned that Israeli airstrikes on Iran and consequent airspace closures could affect flight schedules.

According to the DGCA, 24 of Air India's 33 Dreamliners had undergone safety checks as of Tuesday.

"An additional 2 aircraft are planned for completion today, with 1 more scheduled for tomorrow. The remaining 6 aircraft include 2 aircraft, which are presently AOG at Delhi," the DGCA said. AOG, or "aircraft on ground", refers to jets temporarily out of service, usually due to maintenance.

A further seven flights were delayed, including two return flights where the aircraft could not be rotated due to ongoing safety checks or route-related complications.

Among the affected flights was AI-143 from Delhi to Paris, which was cancelled following issues identified during routine pre-flight inspections.

"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 airport, the said flight has been cancelled," Air India said. Consequently, the return flight, AI-142 from Paris to Delhi on 18 June, was also cancelled.

Flight AI-180 from San Francisco to Mumbai, via Kolkata, was terminated in Kolkata after a technical fault developed in one of its engines. The Boeing 777-200LR was carrying 211 passengers.

Its return leg, AI-179 from Mumbai to San Francisco, was also cancelled. The airline usually operates direct flights on this route, but due to current geopolitical tensions - including the closure of Pakistani airspace - the flight had been rerouted with a scheduled stop in Kolkata.

Other cancellations on Tuesday included AI-915 (Delhi-Dubai), AI-133 (Bengaluru-London Heathrow), and AI-153 (Delhi-Vienna). Weather conditions also led to the cancellation of services on the Delhi-Indore-Delhi, Delhi-Trivandrum-Delhi, Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi, and Delhi-Hyderabad-Delhi sectors.

Aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan noted that widespread disruptions were expected.

"The airline has lost one Dreamliner aircraft in the crash, it is undergoing checks on all the B787s that takes hours to get clearance for operations. Plus, Pakistan and Iran airspace is closed leading to crew duty time limitations -- all this will definitely have a major impact on their network."

Air India said it was offering hotel accommodation, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling to affected passengers and was working to arrange alternative flights.