Following the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the airline's operations have faced continuous challenges. On Tuesday, Air India International had to cancel a total of seven flights due to technical glitches and various other reasons. Among the canceled flights, six were Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, similar to the one involved in the Ahmedabad disaster.
Impact on Delhi-Mumbai Flights
On Tuesday, two flights were called off; one from Ahmedabad to London and the other from Delhi to Paris, both canceled after diagnosis of technical issues. Air India also canceled two more flights, one from London to Amritsar and the other from Bangalore to London. Air India's flight number AI 159, scheduled for 1:10 PM and being the first flight after last week's mishap, was also affected.
Read Also: Frightening Moment... Students Jumped from Hostel Balcony as Air India Plane Crashed, VIDEO
Following the Ahmedabad disaster, Air India retired AI 171, renaming it AI 159. More than 270 people, including 229 passengers and 12 crew members, lost their lives in that crash. Additionally, the aircraft collided with a hostel building before hitting the ground, resulting in further casualties.
Engine Failure in Kolkata
A similar event occurred with the flight departing from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport towards Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport. The flight was canceled on Tuesday after a pre-flight check discovered issues. The airline is addressing the faults. Passengers on flight AI 180 traveling from San Francisco via Kolkata to Mumbai had to deplane during a scheduled stop in West Bengal’s capital due to engine issues.
Flight AI180, a Boeing 777-200LR, landed in Kolkata at 12:45 PM, scheduled to depart for Mumbai at 2 PM. However, during its halt, an engine problem was detected, causing trip delays. Around 5:20 AM, passengers were instructed to deplane due to the technical issue.
Further Reading: Air India's Ahmedabad to London Flight Cancellation, Decision Post Technical Glitch
Operational challenges in Air India have been burdensome for flyers. The Ahmedabad accident in flight AI 171 led to heightened vigilance, driven by DGCA guidelines for intensive aircraft checks and monitoring. The government has mandated security checks for all Air India Boeing Dreamliner aircrafts across six different stages.
Flight Cancellations from 2022 to 2024
Air India's passengers have been informed and alternate arrangements are in progress. The airline apologized for the inconvenience, mentioning technical reasons for terminating the Delhi-Paris flight. A mandatory pre-flight check unveiled a technical flaw, currently being resolved. Air India promises hotel accommodations and full refunds upon ticket cancellation.
Flight cancellations aren't rare for Air India, and complaints have been logged previously. As per a government response in the Rajya Sabha on November 25, 2024, data from 2022 to 2024 was provided. In 2022, of the 87,191 flights operated by Air India, 122 were canceled due to technical faults. Similarly, in 2023, 181 out of 105,999 flights were canceled. Improvements were observed in 2024, with only 107 out of 110,351 flights canceled due to technical errors.
As for 2024, 936 out of 492,746 Indigo flights, 305 out of 35,208 SpiceJet flights, and 41 out of 33,204 Akasa Air flights were canceled due to technical issues. This list also includes names like Fly Big, Star Air, Zoom, and Vistara.
