Air India cuts flights on 16 international routes, suspends ops to 3 overseas destinations

Air India on Thursday, 19 June, said flights will be reduced on 16 international routes and suspended for 3 overseas destinations between 21 June and 15 July.

The Tata Group-owned airline, grappling with disruptions following the fatal plane crash on 12 June in Ahmedabad, said the objective is to restore schedule stability and minimise last-minute inconvenience to passengers.

The detailed announcement comes a day after the carrier said it would temporarily reduce flights operated with wide-body planes by 15 per cent.

"These reductions will be effective from 21 June 2025 and last until at least 15 July 2025," the airline said in a statement.

Services will be suspended on the Delhi–Nairobi, Amritsar–London (Gatwick) and Goa (Mopa)–London (Gatwick) routes till 15 July.

While the Delhi–Nairobi route has four flights per week, the Amritsar–London (Gatwick) and Goa (Mopa)–London (Gatwick) routes each have three flights a week, according to the airline.

In addition, flights will be reduced on 16 international routes connecting cities in North America, Europe, Australia and the Far East.

The routes in North America which will see reduced frequencies are Delhi–Toronto, Delhi–Vancouver, Delhi–San Francisco, Delhi–Chicago and Delhi–Washington.

"The reductions arise from the decision to voluntarily undertake enhanced pre-flight safety checks, as well as accommodate additional flight durations arising from airspace closures in the Middle East," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Air India CEO and managing director Campbell Wilson in a message to flyers said that as a confidence-building measure, the airline has elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, its Boeing 777 aircraft for the time being.

Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, Air India has decided to reduce its international wide-body flights by around 15 per cent starting 20 June, through to at least mid-July, Wilson had said.

The routes in Europe with reduced flight services include Delhi–London Heathrow, Bengaluru–London Heathrow, Amritsar–Birmingham, Delhi–Birmingham, Delhi–Paris, Delhi–Milan, Delhi–Copenhagen, Delhi–Vienna and Delhi–Amsterdam.

Similarly, services on the Delhi–Melbourne, Delhi–Sydney, Delhi–Tokyo Haneda and Delhi–Seoul (Incheon) routes have also been reduced as part of the revised schedule.

On Thursday, Air India again apologised to the passengers affected by these curtailments.

"Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days," the Air India chief said in his message.

"This (reduction in services) will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues. We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we're deeply sorry for any inconvenience," he said in the message.

The airline said it is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary rescheduling or full refunds as per their preference.

"We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we're deeply sorry for any inconvenience," Wilson said.

The airline also posted a farewell message in remembrance of First Officer Clive Kunder, saying 'With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to First Officer Clive Kunder — a young aviator full of promise, a valued colleague, and a deeply cherished member of the Air India family.

‘Clive’s quiet dedication, grace, and passion for flying earned him the admiration of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.’

At his prayer and funeral service, senior leaders from the Tata Group and Air India ‘stood beside his family, friends, and loved ones — to honour his memory, share in their grief, and offer strength during this incredibly difficult time,’ the message read.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to Clive’s family. In this moment of profound loss, we stand with you — in remembrance, in sorrow, and in solidarity.

‘Clive’s spirit, warmth, and legacy will always remain a part of Air India.

‘You will be remembered. You will be missed.’

Last rites for the first pilot, Captain Sabharwal, were already performed on 17 June.

With PTI inputs