Air India to cut narrowbody flights on 19 routes temporarily
Air India on Sunday announced that it will temporarily reduce 118 weekly flights operated with narrow-body aircraft across 19 routes and suspend operations on three routes. Air India to temporarily cut 118 weekly narrow-body flights, suspend 3 routes.(X-@Aviationa2z/ File )
The decision follows closely on the heels of a previous announcement by the Tata Group-owned airline to cut international flights operated with wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent on a temporary basis.
In a formal statement, the airline said it was implementing 'temporary cuts of less than 5 per cent to its overall narrow-body network.'
'This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on 3 routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025,' it said.
Seven weekly flights on the Bengaluru-Singapore, Pune-Singapore, and Mumbai-Bagdogra (AI551/552) routes will be suspended until at least mid-July.
Additionally, flight frequencies on several key domestic routes—including Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Mumbai—will be reduced as part of the operational adjustments.
Air India clarified that the temporary reductions are intended to reinforce 'network-wide operational stability' and help 'minimise last-minute inconvenience to passengers.' Air India slashes widebody operations by 15%
Air India announced on Wednesday that it will reduce international operations on its wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent over the coming weeks, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions in the wake of last week's fatal crash involving one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the crash of flight AI171, which resulted in the deaths of 241 people, making it the world's deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
In a statement, the Tata Group-owned airline said safety inspections had been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which have now been cleared for service.
The reduction in flights, which will remain in effect until at least mid-July, is being undertaken 'to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,' the airline said.
Air India added that the remaining Dreamliners will undergo inspections in the coming days, and additional checks are also being planned for its Boeing 777 fleet.
Flight AI171 was en route to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one person on board and about 30 people on the ground.
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