Air India to reduce international flights on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent till mid-July. Days after the fatal crash in Ahmedabad, that claimed 270 lives, Air India has announced that it is reducing international flights on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent “until at least mid-July”. Notably, Air India operates three widebody planes – Boeing 787-8/9, Boeing 777 and A350. The decision comes at a time when Air India is already witnessing operational disruptions, with at least 83 of its international flights being cancelled over the last six days after the fatal Ahmedabad crash.
On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane, enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed within moments of takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad. Air India To Reduce International Flights On Widebody Aircraft In a statement, the Tata Group-owned airline also said it will undertake enhanced safety checks of widebody Boeing 777 aircraft as a matter of added precaution. Air India said there have been disruptions due to the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew in airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, and there are ongoing enhanced safety inspections.
Necessary cautious approach is being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, it said. Given the compounding circumstances that Air India is facing, to ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and to minimise inconvenience to passengers, Air India has decided to reduce its international services on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks,” the statement said.
Details about the exact number of flights that will be impacted could not be immediately ascertained and is likely to be shared by the Airlines. According to the airline, the cuts will be implemented between “now and 20 June” and will continue thereafter “until at least mid-July”.