Air India will be cutting down international flights on widebody aircraft that mostly connect long haul and ultra long haul destinations by 15%, the airline said late on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) evening.
The decision was taken to mitigate the impact of the compounding circumstances resulting from DGCA-ordered enhanced surveillance for Boeing 787 aircraft, geopolitical tensions in West Asua, night curfew in the airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, and “the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots”.
“The move will ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” Air India said in a statement. A large chunk of widebody aircraft are utilised for flights to the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, and in some cases shorter international routes as well.
The cuts will be implemented between now and June 20 and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July. The move will also help the airline to have reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions.
The airline has seen 83 flight cancellations on its Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft since the crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which was the first time that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was involved in an accident anywhere in the world.
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The airline offered its apology to passengers for the inconvenience. Passengers will be able to reschedule at no extra cost, or seek full refund.
On top of the surveillance order by the DGCA for Boeing 787s, where 26 of the 33 aircraft so far have been inspected, the airline has also decided to undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet.
(The Hindu)
