Air India is reducing the number of flights operated by its Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft to conduct additional safety inspections following the fatal crash of one of its 787-8 jets earlier this month.
The airline announced that beginning 21 June, it will carry out enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its widebody fleet. Operations are also being disrupted by airspace restrictions in the Middle East due to ongoing conflict in the region.
As a result, three routes have been temporarily suspended, and frequencies have been cut on an additional 18 routes.
Air India Cargo, the country’s largest international air cargo operator, plays a critical role in supporting India’s expanding cargo market. Recent years have seen a sharp increase in export volumes, partly driven by manufacturers shifting production away from China and the Indian government offering incentives to attract global supply chains. India recently overtook China as the largest exporter of smartphones to the US by air.
The suspended routes include:
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Delhi to Nairobi (four times per week)
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Amritsar to Gatwick (three times per week)
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Goa to Gatwick (three times per week)
Flight frequencies are also being reduced across several major regions:
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North America: Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington
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Europe: London Heathrow (two flights), Birmingham (two flights), Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Vienna, and Amsterdam
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Australia: Melbourne and Sydney
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Asia Pacific: Tokyo Haneda and Seoul Incheon
Air India said it remains committed to restoring its full schedule “as soon as practicable.”
The changes come in the wake of a tragic crash on 12 June involving a 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 registered as VT-ANB. The aircraft, powered by GE Aerospace GEnx engines, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad at 13:38 local time. Of the 242 passengers and crew onboard, only one survived, making it India’s deadliest aviation accident in decades and the first fatal crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing, with no official details released so far.
In response to the incident, Japanese regulators have ordered all local carriers, including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, to inspect the engines and airframes of their Boeing 787 aircraft.