Latest news with #AI-159
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India cancels 8 flights citing enhanced maintenance. Full list
Air India continues to grapple with a wave of flight disruptions as the airline cancelled at least eight more domestic and international flights, citing "enhanced maintenance and operational reasons" on Friday. This comes in the wake of heightened regulatory scrutiny and ongoing safety checks following the fatal crash of a Dreamliner on June 12 that resulted in the deaths of 270. Among the international routes affected on Friday were AI906 (Dubai–Chennai), AI308 (Delhi–Melbourne), AI309 (Melbourne–Delhi), and AI2204 (Dubai–Hyderabad). AI906: Dubai to Chennai AI308: Delhi to Melbourne AI309: Melbourne to Delhi AI2204: Dubai to Hyderabad AI874: Pune to Delhi AI456: Ahmedabad to Delhi AI2872: Hyderabad to Mumbai The cancellations are part of a broader operational crisis for the airline, which is still recovering from the Ahmedabad–London Gatwick Dreamliner crash that claimed 271 lives, including at least 30 on the ground. Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered comprehensive safety inspections across Air India's Boeing 787 fleet. According to DGCA data, since the crash, 66 Dreamliner flights have been cancelled. On June 12 alone, six of the 50 Dreamliner-operated flights were grounded. The regulatory body confirmed that as of June 18, 24 of Air India's 33 Dreamliners had undergone checks, with more aircraft scheduled for review in the coming days. Two jets are currently listed as AOG (Aircraft on Ground) in Delhi due to maintenance issues. Today's cancellations add to a growing list of grounded flights this week. On Tuesday, at least 13 Dreamliner flights, including the newly designated AI-159 (formerly AI-171) on the Ahmedabad–London route, were cancelled. That particular aircraft had been expected to resume operations after the crash but was grounded due to 'unavailability of the aircraft.'
India Today
2 days ago
- General
- India Today
Why Air India renamed flight AI-171 after the crash
After Air India flight AI-171 crashed just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, the airline changed its number to AI-159. But this isn't the first time a flight has been renamed after a tragedy. From MH370 to Lion Air JT610, here's why airlines do it — and what it means. #AirIndia #PlaneCrash #AviationNews #FlightNumberChange #MH370 #JT610 #Dreamliner #AI171 #AI159 #Explainer #AviationFacts
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
'I trust God & airline': Man who escaped AI-171 crash flies again on AI-159
Renumbered AI-159 flew from Ahmedabad to London four days after AI-171 crashed into a residential area, killing 241 on board on June 12 New Delhi Air India's London-bound service returned to the skies on Monday, just four days after the tragic crash of flight AI-171. The route was rebranded as AI-159 and departed Ahmedabad for London Gatwick at 4.30 pm — more than three hours behind schedule. The flight was scheduled to depart at 1.10 pm but eventually departed at 4.30 pm. At Gate 4 of Terminal 2, London shop-assistant Jayesh Ramji was ready to board the flight. 'I was to return on AI 171. I postponed my travel to June 16 because my mother was unwell. All I want is to get back home safe,' he told The Times of India. Raas Mishra, a 28-year-old logistics executive, tried to calm his parents before boarding: 'They were scared. I am a tad nervous, too, but I have flown Air India before. I trust their pilots.' Kokila Patel, 72, called the extended delay 'emotional exhaustion', while Sabina Qasmani's mother confessed she would stay anxious until her 21-year-old daughter phoned from London. 'Since the crash, I haven't been able to sleep. Sabina is flying the same route. It's hard not to worry," she said, as quoted by the report. Air India crash in Ahmedabad Flight AI-171 crashed into a residential area near Ahmedabad minutes after take-off on the afternoon of June 12. Of the 242 passengers and crew, 241 lost their lives. Casualties on the ground — including students in the BJ Medical College hostel — raised the overall death toll to 265. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight-data recorder. A preliminary report is awaited. Tata Group has pledged ₹1 crore in compensation to the family of every victim.
The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Troubles at Air India continue: Flights to London, Paris cancelled; glitch hits San Francisco-Mumbai flight
Separately, Air India terminated its San Francisco-Mumbai flight at its scheduled stopover at Kolkata early on Tuesday morning after one of its engines developed a technical snag. While Air India cancelled the Delhi-Paris flight after some problems were detected during pre-flight checks, its Ahmedabad-London one was cancelled due to unavailability of aircraft, the airline said. Mumbai/Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) Troubles continued at Air India, which is facing the biggest crisis since Tata group bought the airline three and a half years back, with its flights to London and Paris on Tuesday being cancelled for varied reasons and a glitch forcing fliers on San Francisco-Mumbai flight to deplane during a stopover. The disruptions came as investigators probe what caused a London-bound Air India flight to crash in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on June 12, killing more than 270 people onboard and on the ground. The incident dealt a severe blow to the airline and its owner Tata, which prides itself for producing luxury cars to salt and software as well as assembly of iPhone. In a statement, Air India said flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris has been cancelled after 'mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue which is being presently addressed'. It did not detail the issue that came to light during pre-flight checks. 'However, in view of the flight coming under the restrictions on night operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport, the said flight has been cancelled,' Air India said. The airline said it is providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by the passengers. Air India also said it is making alternative arrangements to fly passengers to their destination at the earliest. The airline, which on Monday resumed flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick with a new code AI159 instead of AI171 of the flight that crashed on June 12, had to cancel the flight on Tuesday due to unavailability of aircraft. It denied claims that a technical snag led to the cancellation and maintained that it has made alternative arrangements for the affected passengers to their destination and offered full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by them. Air India's official website confirmed that the AI-159 flight from Ahmedabad to the Gatwick airport in London stands cancelled after being rescheduled. The plane was scheduled to depart at 3 pm from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA). 'Flight AI-159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick (London) has been cancelled today (Tuesday) due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag as claimed,' an AI spokesperson said. 'We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and have made alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination. We are providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by passengers,' he added. Consequently, flight AI-170 from London (Gatwick) to Amritsar on June 17 stands cancelled, the airline said. Iran has closed its airspace due to its ongoing war with Israel, affecting flights headed to Europe. AI's direct flight from Ahmedabad to London was earlier known by its assigned code 'AI-171'. Airport sources said the flight having code AI-171 was suspended after the horrific crash which claimed 270 lives, including 29 people on the ground. It resumed operation on Monday (June 16), five days after the crash, with a new flight code AI-159, said an airport official. Separately, an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata suffered a technical snag early Tuesday, requiring passengers to deboard during a scheduled halt at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The termination led to chaotic scenes at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport as the 211 passengers on the Boeing 777-200 LR tried to convince officials to let them reach their destination at the earliest. The Tata Group-owned carrier did not issue an official statement. Sources said Air India is making 'special arrangements' to fly the stranded passengers to Mumbai. No further details were available. Usually, the carrier flies directly to Mumbai from San Francisco but the ongoing geopolitical events, including the closure of Pakistani airspace, have led AI to reroute it and take a 'technical halt' in Kolkata. Flight AI-180 landed in Kolkata at the scheduled time of 12.45 am, even though it took off one hour late from San Francisco. According to sources, a technical issue was detected during routine post-landing checks, and the airline decided to do a comprehensive check. It was scheduled to depart for Mumbai at 2 am, but passengers came to know of the problems only after 2.40 am when the crew announced there was a problem with the left engine, according to a PTI reporter who was on the flight. However, this announcement was accompanied by a specific promise, that the snag will take up to 25 minutes to get sorted, the reporter said. However, as the clock ticked by, distraught passengers having connecting flights from Mumbai started enquiring about the progress of the work with the cabin crew, but there was no clear response, the reporter said. With the Ahmedabad accident being fresh, some passengers also said a delay is better than a mishap, while some wondered how an aircraft which had travelled thousands of kilometres could face problems in the last leg from Kolkata to Mumbai. The next announcement came at 4.20 am when the pilots sought another 15-20 minutes for rectification of the problem. The engineers could be seen working on the left engine even as a drizzle continued, but the problem persisted. Finally, around 5.20 am, the pilots announced that a resolution was not possible and asked all passengers to deplane. After disembarking and passing the mandatory immigration, collecting baggage and passing the customs channels, the passengers were asked to sit in a designated area. A few passengers pleaded with officials asking for the earliest option to travel to Mumbai. Some got lucky, while others continued to wait. Finally, an Air India official announced that Mumbai-bound flights were mostly full and convinced a bulk of the passengers to check into a hotel. PTI IAS AA ANZ BAL BAL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Air India cancels 7 flights in 24 hours, amid ongoing fallout from Ahmedabad plane crash
Air India Plane Crash: On 17 June 2025, Air India announced the cancellation of several key international flights, affecting passengers across various routes. Affected routes include Ahmedabad to London, Delhi to Paris, London to Amritsar, Mumbai-San Francisco, and more. DGCA also said on Tuesday that several AI flights were cancelled by Air India, of which five were Boeing 787 operated aircraft. The aviation watchdog also advised Air India to take measures to mitigate delays due to maintenance issues after the airline said latest cancellations and delays are due to technical faults & other factors . The Air India cancellations follow operational issues and precautionary measures mandated by MoCA after the recent Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 241 passengers and crew. Air India flight AI-159 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was cancelled due to the unavailability of the aircraft. The airline cited airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks as reasons, emphasising that the cancellation was not due to any technical fault. This cancellation also led to the subsequent cancellation of flight AI-170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar on the same day. Following the Ahmedabad-London cancellation, the London Gatwick to Amritsar flight AI-170 was also cancelled on 17 June. This disruption impacted many passengers travelling between the UK and northern India. Air India's Delhi to Paris flight AI-143 was cancelled after mandatory pre-flight checks revealed a hydraulic issue. Due to night operation restrictions at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the flight could not be delayed and was cancelled. Consequently, the return flight AI-142 from Paris to Delhi on 18 June was also cancelled. The airline is providing alternative arrangements and hotel accommodation to affected passengers. On 17 June 2025, Air India reportedly cancelled flight AI 915 from Delhi to Dubai amid ongoing operational disruptions following the recent Ahmedabad crash. This cancellation marks the sixth Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight grounded that day as the airline conducts rigorous post-crash safety checks. Official confirmation is awaited, but media reports indicate the aircraft developed technical issues during pre-flight inspections, prompting the cancellation. Similarly, flight AI 153 from Delhi to Vienna is believed to have been cancelled on the same day, though the airline has yet to officially confirm this. Like other affected flights, this cancellation is likely linked to precautionary measures and maintenance checks on the Dreamliner fleet. Air India also cancelled its Bengaluru to London and Mumbai to San Francisco flights on 17 June. The Air India Mumbai-San Francisco flight was terminated at Kolkata due to a suspected technical snag, prompting passengers to deplane and causing disruption at the airport. Air India's Bengaluru to London flight was cancelled on 17 June 2025, adding to the growing list of international flight disruptions faced by the airline in the wake of recent operational challenges. While detailed official reasons for this specific cancellation have not been extensively disclosed, it is understood to be part of the wider impact of technical and logistical issues affecting Air India's fleet, particularly involving Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Air India has offered full refunds to passengers affected by the cancellations on 17 June. The airline informed that travellers can request refunds through the airline's official website under the 'Manage Booking' section or by contacting Air India's reservation offices. Refunds will be credited to the original payment method, and the airline has assured passengers that cancellation charges will be waived given the exceptional circumstances.
