Air India Announces Flight Reductions Amid Safety Checks and Disruptions

Air India has announced significant reductions in international flights and the suspension of services to three destinations due to safety checks following a recent plane crash. The adjustments, effective from June 21 to July 15, aim to stabilize operations and minimize disruptions for passengers. The airline is proactively contacting affected travelers to offer re-accommodation or refunds. This decision comes amid challenges related to airspace closures and enhanced safety protocols. Read on to learn more about the specific routes impacted and the airline's commitment to passenger safety.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 19, 2025, 22:25 IST

Flight Adjustments on International Routes

Mumbai: On Thursday, Air India announced a reduction in flights across 16 international routes and the suspension of services to three overseas destinations from June 21 to July 15.

The airline, owned by the Tata Group, is facing operational challenges following a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. The aim of these changes is to stabilize the flight schedule and reduce last-minute disruptions for travelers.

This announcement follows a previous statement indicating a temporary 15% reduction in flights operated by wide-body aircraft.

According to the airline, these changes will take effect from June 21, 2025, and will remain in place until at least July 15, 2025.

The routes affected include Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London (Gatwick), and Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick), which will be suspended until mid-July.

The Delhi-Nairobi route typically operates four flights weekly, while the other two routes have three flights each week.

Additionally, 16 international routes connecting North America, Europe, Australia, and the Far East will see reduced flight frequencies.

In North America, the affected routes include Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Vancouver, Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Chicago, and Delhi-Washington.

The airline stated that these reductions are part of a voluntary initiative to enhance pre-flight safety checks and to accommodate longer flight durations due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East.

Earlier, Air India's CEO, Campbell Wilson, communicated to passengers that the airline would continue to implement enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and, for the time being, on its Boeing 777 aircraft as well.

Due to the time required for these additional checks and their potential impact on flight schedules, Air India has opted to cut its international wide-body flights by approximately 15% starting June 20, lasting through at least mid-July.

In Europe, the routes experiencing reduced services include Delhi-London Heathrow, Bengaluru-London Heathrow, Amritsar-Birmingham, Delhi-Birmingham, Delhi-Paris, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-Copenhagen, Delhi-Vienna, and Delhi-Amsterdam.

Furthermore, services on Delhi-Melbourne, Delhi-Sydney, Delhi-Tokyo Haneda, and Delhi-Seoul (Incheon) have also been adjusted as part of the new schedule.

Air India has expressed its apologies to passengers impacted by these changes.

The airline's chief noted that the time needed for enhanced safety checks, combined with external factors such as airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East, night-time restrictions at certain international airports, and typical technical issues, has resulted in an increased number of cancellations on long-haul flights recently.

This reduction in services is intended to ensure that more backup aircraft are available to address any unforeseen issues. The airline acknowledges that this temporary schedule adjustment may disrupt travel plans and sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience caused.

Air India is actively reaching out to affected passengers to provide options for re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary rescheduling, or full refunds based on their preferences.

Wilson reiterated the airline's regret over the impact of these changes on travel plans.