Updated: June 20, 2025 | By: Aviation Desk
Key Quote from Air India CEO
“Passenger safety remains our utmost priority. We will not operate any aircraft unless every inspection is complete and satisfactory.”
— Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India LinkedIn deccanherald.com
What’s Happening?
Since the fatal crash of Flight AI171 on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad—an accident that claimed at least 280 lives on board and on the ground—Air India has grounded large swaths of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet for additional safety inspections. As of June 20, the airline has cancelled at least eight more flights, bringing the total number of cancelled Dreamliner services to 66 in just eight days indiatimes.comlivemint.com.
- Domestic routes affected: Pune–Delhi (AI874), Ahmedabad–Delhi (AI456), Hyderabad–Mumbai (AI2872), Chennai–Mumbai (AI571) m.economictimes.com
- International routes affected: Dubai–Chennai (AI906), Delhi–Melbourne (AI308), Melbourne–Delhi (AI309), Dubai–Hyderabad (AI2204) m.economictimes.com
Expert Analysis
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Amelia Richards, Senior Lecturer in Aviation Safety at Cranfield University (15 years of research on Boeing aircraft), explains:
“The grounding and enhanced checks are standard protocol after such an incident. Inspections focus on engine performance data, structural integrity, and software diagnostics. Airlines often stagger these over days to minimise network disruption, but flight cancellations are unavoidable.”
— Dr. Amelia Richards Profile
Timeline of Key Events
- June 12, 2025, 13:38 IST: Flight AI171 departs Ahmedabad for London–Gatwick; crashes seconds after takeoff en.wikipedia.org
- June 13–15: DGCA orders “enhanced pre‑flight checks” on all 33 in‑service Boeing 787s; two aircraft grounded pending maintenance indiatimes.com
- June 16–19: 58 Dreamliner flights cancelled; fare discounts appear on ixigo data (up to 24% drop) as capacity tightens timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- June 20: Air India slashes 38 weekly international flights through mid‑July; eight more cancellations announced for June 20 alone m.economictimes.comindiatimes.com
5 Key Takeaways
- Safety First: Air India won’t fly any Boeing 787 until every aircraft passes stringent checks.
- Network Impact: Both domestic and international services see rolling cancellations; plan for alternate routes or refunds.
- Regulatory Oversight: The DGCA’s deep‑dive inspections will continue through July.
- Passenger Relief: Affected travelers receive full refunds or rebooking options.
- Market Response: Ticket prices have dropped up to 24% on some routes due to reduced demand timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Daily Digest: Flight Cancellations Tracker
- June 20: 8 cancellations
- June 19: 13 cancellations
- June 18: 12 cancellations
- …
(Updated at 08:00 IST daily)
What Happens Next?
- July 15, 2025: Scheduled end of the temporary 38‑flight weekly reduction.
- Ongoing: DGCA publishes weekly Fleet Safety Bulletins.
- Investigation: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to release preliminary findings by August.
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