Flight cancellations at Air India continue in aftermath of Ahmedabad crash

The cancellations are part of a broader operational crisis for the Air India, which is still recovering from the Dreamliner crash that claimed 271 lives.

Updated on: Jun 20, 2025, 11:19:11 IST

By HT News Desk

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Air India continues to grapple with a wave of flight disruptions as the airline cancelled at least eight more domestic and international flights, citing "enhanced maintenance and operational reasons" on Friday. This comes in the wake of heightened regulatory scrutiny and ongoing safety checks following the fatal crash of a Dreamliner on June 12 that resulted in the deaths of 270.

Air India said the flights have been cancelled due to enhanced maintenance and operational reasons. (Reuters File)

Among the international routes affected on Friday were AI906 (Dubai–Chennai), AI308 (Delhi–Melbourne), AI309 (Melbourne–Delhi), and AI2204 (Dubai–Hyderabad).

Cancelled Air India flights on June 20: Full List

International Flights

AI906: Dubai to Chennai

AI308: Delhi to Melbourne

AI309: Melbourne to Delhi

AI2204: Dubai to Hyderabad

Domestic Flights

AI874: Pune to Delhi

AI456: Ahmedabad to Delhi

AI2872: Hyderabad to Mumbai

Air India battles crisis

The cancellations are part of a broader operational crisis for the airline, which is still recovering from the Ahmedabad–London Gatwick Dreamliner crash that claimed 271 lives, including at least 30 on the ground. Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered comprehensive safety inspections across Air India's Boeing 787 fleet.

According to DGCA data, since the crash, 66 Dreamliner flights have been cancelled. On June 12 alone, six of the 50 Dreamliner-operated flights were grounded. The regulatory body confirmed that as of June 18, 24 of Air India’s 33 Dreamliners had undergone checks, with more aircraft scheduled for review in the coming days. Two jets are currently listed as AOG (Aircraft on Ground) in Delhi due to maintenance issues.

Today's cancellations add to a growing list of grounded flights this week. On Tuesday, at least 13 Dreamliner flights, including the newly designated AI-159 (formerly AI-171) on the Ahmedabad–London route, were cancelled. That particular aircraft had been expected to resume operations after the crash but was grounded due to “unavailability of the aircraft.”

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