Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Air India announced Wednesday it would cut its international schedule by 15% in the coming weeks, citing last week’s deadly plane crash and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“The curtailments are a painful measure to take, but are necessary following a devastating event which we are still working through and an unusual combination of external events,” the airline said in a statement provided to Business Insider.
On June 12, Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
It’s still not clear what caused the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to crash minutes after take-off. India’s civil aviation ministry has held just one press conference since the crash, and questions weren’t allowed.
“The investigating authorities are continuing their efforts to find out the reasons for the accident,” Air India said in its statement.
It added that the reduction in international services was due in part to a safety review of its aircraft.
The airline said India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which regulates the country’s civil aviation industry, had ordered enhanced safety inspections across Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet.
It said that, as of Wednesday, 26 of 33 planes had been inspected and cleared for service, with the remaining seven still under inspection.
It also said it was conducting its own “enhanced safety checks” on its Boeing 777 fleet as an added precaution.
But these aren’t the only reasons for the cuts to international services.
Air India also cited geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, where both Iranian and Israeli airspace has been closed following an Israeli strike on Iran last Friday.
The two countries have continued to trade aerial strikes, leading to Israel’s flagship carrier, El Al Airlines, suspending all flights until further notice.
Several global airlines, including Emirates and Etihad, have also suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Air India said that due to “certain disruptions” to international operations over the six days before Wednesday, it had canceled 83 flights.
The airline said the 15% cuts to international services on widebody aircraft would continue until at least mid-July.
“This effectively adds to our reserve aircraft availability to take care of any unplanned disruptions,” it said.
The airline said it would try to rebook affected passengers on alternative flights, but they can also choose to reschedule or request a full refund.
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