Following a devastating crash in Ahmedabad last month, Air India has announced a partial restoration of its international flight schedule. The carrier had scaled back its operations after the tragic incident on June 12, 2025, involving flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, which crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people.
The partial resumption of services will begin on August 1, 2025, with a full restoration planned for October 1, 2025. As part of this initial phase, Air India will operate a thrice-weekly service between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow from August 1 to September 30, replacing the current five-times-a-week flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick.
In addition to the changes on the Ahmedabad-London route, Air India is also reducing frequencies on some other international routes. Effective August 1, flights from Delhi to Paris will be reduced to seven times a week from the previous twelve. The Delhi-Milan route will see a reduction to three flights per week, down from four. Furthermore, flights from Mumbai and Delhi to New York JFK will be cut to six times a week from the previous daily service.
The Air India flight AI171 crash, which occurred on June 12, 2025, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The preliminary report into the crash indicated that the engine fuel control switches moved from the "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position within a second of each other, which caused both engines to lose thrust. The report also noted that one pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, and the other pilot denied doing so. The cause of the switch movement remains under investigation.
The crash has led to intense scrutiny and investigation. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release its final report within a year of the crash. In the meantime, aviation experts are analyzing the available data, including the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder, to determine the exact sequence of events and the factors that contributed to the accident. There have been calls for more transparency in the investigation, including releasing the full audio and transcript of the CVR. Some experts have also suggested the need for cockpit video recorders to provide more comprehensive information in the event of an accident.
Following the release of the preliminary report, speculation arose regarding potential pilot error, with some experts suggesting that deliberate or inadvertent pilot action may have caused the crash. However, pilot groups have rejected these claims, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing and it is premature to draw conclusions. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has also urged against jumping to conclusions, stating that the probe is far from over.
The aftermath of the crash has also seen increased attention on the safety of flying, particularly in India. While the Air India tragedy is a reminder of the potential risks of air travel, statistics indicate that this remains the safest decade in aviation history.
Air India's decision to partially restore its international flight schedule signals a move towards normalcy following the tragic event. The airline is likely implementing enhanced safety measures and cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation to ensure the safety and confidence of its passengers.
