Air India continues to grapple with increasing operational issues as it cancelled a minimum of eight more flights—domestic and international—on Friday, citing the disruption due to "enhanced maintenance and operational reasons."
The cancellations come on the heels of heightened regulatory scrutiny and strict safety audits following the fatal Dreamliner crash on June 12, which killed 270 people.
International Routes Impacted
The new cancellations impacted the following international flights:
AI906: Dubai to Chennai
AI308: Delhi to Melbourne
AI309: Delhi to Melbourne
AI2204: Hyderabad to Dubai
Domestic Services Cancelled
Domestically, the following flights were cancelled:
AI874: Delhi to Pune
AI456: Delhi to Ahmedabad
AI2872: Mumbai to Hyderabad
Ongoing Operational Crisis
The airline continues in crisis mode as the aftermath of the horrific crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick comes. That crash had killed 271 people, more than 30 on the ground. In turn, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched intensive inspections of Air India's Dreamliner fleet.
66 Dreamliner flights have been grounded, according to figures released by the DGCA, since the crash on June 12. On that day itself, six of the 50 Dreamliner flights were grounded at once. As of June 18, 24 of Air India's 33 Boeing 787 planes had been checked for safety and more planes were to be inspected over the next few days. Two planes are currently "Aircraft on Ground" (AOG) in Delhi for maintenance issues.
Delays Pile Up as Fleet Inspections Persist
This week's disruptions are only a part of the larger pattern, as 13 routes operated by the Dreamliner were cancelled on Tuesday alone. Among them was AI-159 (formerly AI-171), the Ahmedabad–London route that was supposed to have resumed operations after the crash but stayed grounded due to the unavailability of aircraft.
As the airline navigates increased safety measures and fleet analysis, further flight cancellations are likely to ensue, exacerbating travel delays for thousands of travelers.
