Air India has announced a major cutback in its international operations, reducing 38 flights per week and suspending services on three overseas routes between June 21 and July 15, 2025. The move comes in the wake of the fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad on June 12, which has triggered a fleet-wide safety review.
As part of the review, the airline is conducting enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 aircraft. To accommodate this, Air India will temporarily suspend three routes: Delhi–Nairobi (four times weekly), Amritsar–London Gatwick (three times weekly), and Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick (three times weekly).
In addition, the airline is scaling down operations on 18 other international routes. Affected destinations include key cities across North America—Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington—as well as major European hubs such as London Heathrow, Birmingham, Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Vienna, and Amsterdam. Services to Melbourne, Sydney, Tokyo Haneda, and Seoul Incheon are also impacted.
Air India attributed the changes to multiple factors, including post-crash safety protocols, longer flight durations caused by Middle East airspace restrictions, night-time curbs at certain airports, and persistent operational hurdles. CEO Campbell Wilson noted that the temporary adjustments aim to improve schedule reliability and reduce last-minute cancellations by increasing the availability of standby aircraft.
The airline is reaching out to affected passengers with options for alternate flights, free rescheduling, or full refunds. While acknowledging the inconvenience caused, Air India stressed that passenger safety and operational resilience remain the top priorities during this period. The adjustments will stay in place through at least July 15, 2025.