Air India is temporarily cutting back Boeing 787 and 777 services for nearly a month, as a result of enhanced safety checks being conducted on its fleet in the wake of the Ahmedabad accident.
The carrier says the measures, starting 21 June, also take into account airspace closures in the Middle East which are leading to longer flights and disruption to schedules.
Air India will suspend its Delhi-Nairobi service until 30 June, as well as two routes to London Gatwick – from Goa and Amritsar – at least until 15 July.
Frequencies will be cut on North American and Asia-Pacific routes from Delhi, including Washington Dulles, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Tokyo Haneda, Seoul, Sydney and Melbourne.
Several European connections from Delhi, Bengaluru and Amritsar will also be trimmed.
Air India has apologised to passengers affected, and is working to accommodate them. “The objective is to restore schedule stability and [minimise] last-minute inconvenience,” it adds.
Checks on the fleet were introduced after the 12 June accident involving a 787 departing Ahmedabad for London Gatwick. Investigators have yet to disclose preliminary findings from the inquiry.
Conflict between Israel and Iran has also resulted in advisories from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency recommending that flights avoid both countries’ airspace – as well as that of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon – in its entirety.
Air India says it is committed to restoring its full schedule “as soon as practicable”, while prioritising the safety of its passengers and crews.
