Air India has announced a temporary suspension of select flights and is offering affected passengers refunds and free rescheduling options. This decision, effective from June 21st and lasting until at least July 15th, 2025, impacts several international routes. The airline has cited a combination of factors for this disruption, including enhanced pre-flight safety checks and airspace closures in the Middle East.
The flight cancellations and reductions stem from Air India's decision to voluntarily undertake more rigorous safety checks on its Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft. This move follows the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 flight AI171 on June 12th, 2025, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. While the airline's chairman has stated that the aircraft involved in the crash had a "clean history," the incident has prompted heightened scrutiny and a commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards across the fleet. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also directed Air India to conduct additional maintenance inspections on its Boeing 787s. As of June 20th, inspections had been completed on 26 of its Boeing 787 planes and they were cleared for service.
In addition to the enhanced safety checks, Air India is also facing operational challenges due to airspace closures in the Middle East. These closures are forcing the airline to take longer routes, increasing flight durations and impacting crew requirements. Furthermore, night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, have contributed to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on long-haul routes recently.
The routes affected by the temporary suspension include Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London Gatwick, and Goa (Mopa)-London Gatwick. Additionally, several other international routes will see a reduction in frequency. These include routes connecting Delhi to North American cities like Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, as well as European destinations like London Heathrow and Paris. Flights to Australia, Tokyo, and Seoul will also be temporarily reduced. In total, Air India will be cutting 38 international flights per week and suspending services on the three aforementioned overseas routes.
Air India has apologized for the inconvenience caused by these disruptions and is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer them several options. Passengers can choose to be re-accommodated on alternative flights, reschedule their travel without any additional charges, or receive a full refund for their tickets. The airline typically takes 7 to 10 business days to process refund requests. Passengers can request a refund through the "Manage Booking" section on the Air India website or mobile app, or by contacting their travel agent if the ticket was booked through one.
For passengers whose flights are cancelled by Air India, rescheduling can be done without incurring any additional charges. The charges for rescheduling a flight depend on the time window of rescheduling and the fare type and route of the original and new booking, however, this is waived when the cancellation is initiated by the airline.
This temporary reduction in flight services is aimed at restoring schedule stability and minimizing last-minute disruptions for travelers. Air India has stated that it expects the situation to normalize by mid-July, and will continue to provide updates to passengers through its website and social media channels. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
