Air India Reduces International Flights on Wide-Body Aircraft by 15% After Crash
New Delhi:
In the aftermath of the tragic crash involving its Ahmedabad-to-London Boeing Dreamliner, Air India has announced a series of precautionary measures, including a 15% reduction in international flights operated by its wide-body aircraft. The cuts will be in effect from now until June 20 and are expected to continue through at least mid-July.
The airline stated that safety inspections, mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), have been completed on 26 out of its fleet of 33 Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft. These planes have been cleared to resume service, while the remaining inspections are underway.
“As an added safety measure, Air India will also carry out comprehensive checks on its Boeing 777 fleet,” the company said in a statement.
Flight cancellations have also been attributed to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, nighttime airspace curfews in various European and East Asian countries, and the cautious stance taken by the airline’s engineering teams and pilots. Over the past six days alone, 83 international flights have been cancelled.
“In light of these compounded challenges, and to maintain operational stability and passenger convenience, we have decided to temporarily scale down wide-body international services by 15% over the coming weeks,” Air India noted.
The June 12 crash of flight AI171 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of all 241 people onboard and over 30 others on the ground, marks one of the deadliest air disasters in India’s aviation history.
“Air India remains in mourning over the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and communities affected by this devastating incident,” the airline said.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
