Technical snag: Air India cancels Singapore-Chennai flight; offers refunds and hotel stay

Air India on Sunday cancelled its Singapore to Chennai flight AI349 following a technical issue that required extended maintenance work. The flight, scheduled to be operated using an Airbus A321, was grounded after a pre-departure check flagged the problem.In a statement issued on Sunday, the airline said, “Flight AI349 scheduled to operate from Singapore to Chennai has been cancelled due to a maintenance task identified prior to departure, which required additional time for rectification.”As per news agency PTI, arrangements are underway to fly the affected passengers to Chennai at the earliest. The airline is offering hotel accommodation and has assured full refunds or complimentary rescheduling, depending on each passenger’s preference.Air India also said that its ground staff in Singapore are making "every possible effort" to minimise inconvenience for the passengers caused by this unforeseen disruption.This latest cancellation adds to a spate of recent technical snags reported on Air India aircraft. On Thursday, a Delhi-London flight (AI2017) operated on an ex-Vistara Boeing 787 Dreamliner had to return to the terminal after the pilots suspected a technical issue. “The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks,” an Air India spokesperson said. An alternative Dreamliner was later arranged for the journey.Similarly, on July 25, an Air India Express flight bound for Doha was forced to return to Calicut airport due to a fault in the cabin air conditioning system. 188 passengers were on board, and the flight landed safely after two hours in the air. The airline later provided food and water to passengers and arranged a replacement aircraft.