Air India Temporarily Reduces Narrowbody Flights on 19 Routes

Air India announced on Sunday that it would temporarily be reducing 118 weekly flights operated with narrow-body aircraft on 19 routes and suspending flights on 3 routes.

The latest announcement follows closely on the heels of an announcement by the airline, owned by the Tata Group, that it was reducing its international flights operated with wide-body aircraft by 15 percent on a temporary basis.

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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.

The seven weekly flights on the Bengaluru-Singapore, Pune-Singapore, and Mumbai-Bagdogra (AI551/552) routes will be suspended until no earlier than mid-July.

In addition, frequencies on some other important domestic routes such as Delhi-Bengaluru and Delhi-Mumbai, were reduced as a result of the operational changes.

Air India explained the temporary reductions were to enhance "network-wide operational stability," and to "help to minimise last-minute inconvenience for passengers."

Air India slashes widebody operations by 15%

Air India announced on Wednesday that it would reduce its international operations on its wide-body aircraft by 15 percent over the next few weeks in light of ongoing safety inspections and operational challenges coming on the heels of last week’s tragic crash which involved one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

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The investigating authorities are continuing to investigate the crash of flight AI171 which resulted in 241 deaths, making it the world's worst air crash in a decade.

In a statement, the airline, which is owned by Tata Group, said safety inspections had taken place on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787–8 and 787–9 aircraft and all were now cleared for service.

The cut back in flights, valid until at least mid-July, had been made "to ensure stability of operations, to improve efficiency and reduce inconvenience to passengers," the airline stated.

Air India added that the remaining Dreamliners would be inspected in the coming days, and additional checks are also being arranged for its Boeing 777 fleet.

Flight AI171 was bound for London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of all but one person aboard, and about 30 people on the ground.

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