Air India to cut overseas flights on wide-body aircraft by 15% at least till mid-July

NEW DELHI: New Delhi: Air India will reduce its international services on wide body aircraft by 15% with immediate effect “at least” till mid-July. The airline operates about 70 international flights daily on its wide body fleet.

Multiple factors including airspace closures of many countries have increased flying times to and from the west and enhanced checks on Boeing 787s since AI 171 crash last Thursday have reduced twin aisle availability.The math was worked out thus: AI operated 462 flights on its wide body fleet of Boeing 787s, B777s & Airbus A350s between June 2 and 17 while canceling 83 flights in that period. Which means 15.2% of the 545 flights that were to be operated were cancelled inconveniencing passengers.

Hence, taking that ratio and aligning schedules to actual capacity to mount flights, AI has cut wide body flights by 15%.In the last two years AI had stretched itself thin in terms of crew and equipment by massively increasing flights even as induction of new planes from Boeing and Airbus has been way slower than anticipated. As a result, any aircraft getting grounded or delayed meant the flight it was to operate next got affected.This worsened since last Thursday as the DGCA ordered enhanced checks of B787 Dreamliners.

The 15% cut, AI said in a statement late Wednesday, “effectively adds to our reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions” and will help it ensure “stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers.”Also, the airline announced it will “undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet”. This fleet is the backbone of North America operations. While the capacity cut comes in peak travel season, this will at least allow the airline to beforehand inform passengers about their flights getting cancelled and enable AI to help make alternate arrangements for them.“Investigating authorities are continuing their efforts to find out the reasons for (AI 171) accident. DGCA had mandated ‘enhanced safety inspection’ across AI’s B787-8/9 aircraft fleet. Out of total 33 B787s, inspections have now been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days. The fact that 26 aircraft have been cleared gives reassurance in the safety measures and procedures that we follow,” the AI statement said.

The B787s (one of which crashed in Ahmedabad) operated 248 or 53.7% of the long hauls in from June 12 to 17 but accounted for almost 80% (66) of these cancellations in that period. “Going forward, we will continue to cooperate with authorities to ensure the safety of our passengers, our crew and our aircraft, which remains our highest priority,” the statement said.“Due to the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew (at airports abroad), the ongoing enhanced safety inspections, and also the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, there have been certain disruptions in our international operations over the last six days leading to a total of 83 cancellations,” it said, while apologising to passengers “affected due to these curtailments.AI says it will “inform them in advance and make its best efforts to accommodate them on alternate flights. Passengers will also be offered a choice to reschedule their travel without any cost or to be given full refund, as per their choice. The revised schedule of our international services effective from 20 June, 2025 will be shared shortly.”