Air India Scales Back Long-Haul Schedule Amid Fleet Inspections and Operational Pressures
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Air India will cancel approximately 15 percent of its international wide-body flights through mid-July as the carrier grapples with multiple operational challenges in the wake of last week’s fatal Boeing 787 accident.
Key Points
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Air India’s long-haul program will operate with roughly one-sixth fewer flights for the next four weeks.
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Most Dreamliner inspections are complete; 777 checks are beginning.
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The airline says proactive cuts are necessary to maintain schedule integrity and passenger safety.
Temporary Flight Reductions
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Implementation window: 18 – 20 June schedule change; reductions remain in place “until at least mid-July.”
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Scope: About 15 percent of long-haul services operated by Boeing 787s and 777s.
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Objective: Increase spare-aircraft availability and “restore operational stability” to minimize last-minute disruptions.
In a statement, the airline cited a “devastating event we are still working through” and an “unusual combination of external events,” including:
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Enhanced safety inspections mandated by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA);
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Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that lengthen routings and complicate dispatch;
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Night curfews at several European and East-Asian airports limiting schedule flexibility.
Since the accident, Air India has cancelled 83 international flights.
Progress on Aircraft Inspections
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Boeing 787 fleet: 26 of 33 Dreamliners have completed the DGCA’s enhanced safety checks and returned to service; the remaining seven will be inspected “in the coming days.”
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Boeing 777 fleet: Air India will conduct similar voluntary inspections “as a matter of added precaution.”
“The fact that 26 aircraft have been cleared gives reassurance in the safety measures and procedures that we follow,” the airline said, adding that it continues to cooperate fully with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), DGCA and Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Commitment to Passengers
Management acknowledged that the cutbacks are “painful,” but said the move will reduce short-notice cancellations and improve reliability. Affected passengers are being re-accommodated or offered refunds; Air India has not yet published a route-by-route list of cancellations.
“With the continued support of our passengers, the regulatory authorities, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and India at large, we will come out stronger through this tragic incident and re-establish confidence in our services at the earliest,” the carrier’s statement concluded.
