New Delhi: Tata Group-owned Air India announced on Sunday that it will temporarily reduce 118 weekly narrow-body flights across 19 routes and suspend three more routes entirely. This follows a similar move last week to slash international wide-body operations by 15% in the wake of a fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
✈️ Temporary Cuts to Narrow-Body Network
Air India stated that these flight reductions represent less than 5% of its total narrow-body operations and are aimed at maintaining network-wide operational stability.
“This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India’s services on three routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025,” the airline said.
The three routes temporarily suspended include:
- Bengaluru–Singapore
- Pune–Singapore
- Mumbai–Bagdogra (AI551/552)
Additionally, frequencies on high-traffic domestic routes like Delhi–Bengaluru and Delhi–Mumbai will be reduced.
🛫 Wide-Body Cuts Follow Deadly Crash
Last week, Air India announced a 15% reduction in wide-body international operations, citing ongoing safety inspections following the crash of flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick, killed 241 people, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. One passenger survived, along with at least 30 casualties on the ground.
Since then, safety checks have been completed on 26 of Air India’s 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which have now been cleared for service. The airline is also planning inspections for its Boeing 777 fleet.
⚠️ Focus on Passenger Safety and Operational Efficiency
Air India emphasized that the temporary reductions are meant to:
- Ensure passenger safety
- Stabilize operations
- Avoid last-minute cancellations
“The reduction in flights is being undertaken to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” a company spokesperson stated.