Air India has announced a 15 % reduction in its wide‑body international flights until mid‑July, citing safety checks and operational stability measures following the Ahmedabad crash and DGCA mandates. In the wake of last week’s Boeing 787 crash near Ahmedabad, which killed 241 passengers and dozens on the ground, Air India has initiated extensive inspections of its fleet.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered checks on all 33 Boeing 787s; 26 have now been cleared for service. Concurrently, enhanced maintenance has been extended to its Boeing 777 aircraft. Between 12 and 18 June, the airline cancelled 83 flights, including routes to Dubai, Chennai, Melbourne and Melbourne via Delhi, as it strove to accommodate grounded aircraft and ensure passenger safety . Airspace closures in the Middle East and night‑time curfews in Europe and Asia further compounded disruptions.
The 15 % reduction—equating to approximately 38 weekly flights and the suspension of three routes—is designed to ensure adequate reserve capacity and minimise last‑minute cancellations. Air India communicated that affected passengers will receive rebooking options or full refunds. DGCA’s stern position follows inspections that uncovered overdue checks on emergency evacuation slides and life‑saving equipment aboard at least three Airbus jets, prompting warnings for “weak procedural oversight”. While not tied to the Dreamliner crash, these findings highlight deeper systemic lapses. Analysts note that the timing of the reduction—between 20 June and mid‑July—aligns with peak travel and festival seasons. Though short‑term inconvenience is inevitable, the move may bolster consumer confidence by prioritising safety.
Experts emphasise that restoring reliability, especially under private ownership’s aggressive fleet expansion, is vital to sustaining sustainable, equitable growth. Under the Tata Group, Air India has embarked on a transformation spree: new aircraft orders, revamped branding, and eco‑friendly systems. Yet the grounding of 15 % of its wide‑body capacity serves as a sobering reminder that scaling must proceed hand‑in‑hand with airworthiness and proactive safety governance. The DGCA’s insistence on rigorous oversight resonates with public demand for equitable urban safety and environmental responsibility. As cities expand around airports—Ahmedabad included—stringent maintenance regimes and responsible infrastructure planning become essential to shielding communities from fallout.
While this story centres on aviation, it intersects with urban liveability and sustainability. Reducing last‑minute disruptions, fostering transparent safety measures, and minimising carbon‑intensive flight cancellations align with wider goals of building resilient, liveable, eco‑friendly cities. As Air India navigates this turbulence, its focus on human‑centred operational stability underlines a broader city‑level imperative: ensuring that transport growth does not come at cost to public safety, equitable access, or environmental stewardship.
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