AHMEDABAD: Air India's Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight, renumbered AI 159 from AI 171 after the tragic crash last week, was cancelled Tuesday shortly after it missed its scheduled 1.10pm departure amid speculation of a snag. The airline clarified that the reason was "aircraft unavailability" resulting from airspace restrictions over West Asia and extended safety checks since the June 12 Dreamliner crash on this route.
Air India, which resumed the flight on Monday after a gap of four days, announced Tuesday's cancellation after the Boeing 787-8 had completed its return leg from Gatwick to Ahmedabad airport only at 1.19pm, hours behind schedule.
"There was no technical snag, as claimed," Air India said, adding that airspace curbs and additional checks were "leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft".
"We regret the inconvenience caused and have made alternate arrangements for affected passengers. Hotel stays, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling are being offered, based on passenger preference," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Air India cancelled nine scheduled international flights Tuesday, eight of them involving Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, as factors ranging from DGCA-mandated additional safety checks to increased turnaround time because of airspace closures stretched the carrier's maintenance and operational capabilities.
Besides the renumbered AI 159 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, the airline announced the cancellation of its Gatwick-Amritsar, Delhi-Vienna, Delhi-Paris, Paris-Delhi, Delhi-Dubai, Bengaluru-London and London-Bengaluru flights.
A ninth flight, a Boeing 777 operating between San Francisco and Mumbai with a pit stop in Kolkata, was grounded in the Bengal capital because of a snag. This led to return Mumbai-San Francisco flight being cancelled soon after.
The scheduled Vienna-Delhi flight escaped the cascading effect of multiple cancellations because a Boeing 787-8 was already parked there, officials said.
Air India's fleet includes 33 Dreamliners, of which four are undergoing long-term maintenance. At least 24 of the remaining 29 aircraft of this series have gone through one-time safety inspections ordered by the country's civil aviation regulator.
Longer routes to and from the West because of the Israel-Iran war have compounded Air India's operational troubles since the Dreamliner AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which was India's worst civil aviation disaster involving a single aircraft. With Iran and even Jordanian airspace closed, flying durations on some routes have increased by about an hour.
Pilots and cabin crew having to fly longer also impacts turnaround time. Sources said Air India had petitioned DGCA to ease stipulated duty intervals that are meant to prevent crew fatigue.
"Air India has expanded its routes in the past two years while aircraft induction has been slower than expected due to global supply chain issues. As a result, the airliner has stretched itself thin, which affects on-time performance. There's hardly any buffer if an aircraft has to be grounded for technical reasons," a source said.