- Air India will reduce international wide-body flights by 15 per cent until mid-July
- Enhanced Safety Inspection of 26 Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft has been completed and cleared
- Remaining Boeing 787 inspections will be completed in the coming days
Air India has responded to the crash of its Ahmedabad-London Boeing Dreamliner aircraft with a slew of safety and prevention measures that includes massive safety and cutting down on the use of its wide-body planes for international flights by 15 per cent. The cuts will be implemented between now and 20 June and will continue thereafter until at least mid-July.
In a statement today, the company said of their 33 Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft, the "Enhanced Safety Inspection" mandated by civil aviation watchdog DGCA have been completed on 26. These, Air India said, have been "cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days".
"As a matter of added precaution, Air India will also undertake enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 777 fleet," the carrier said.
There have been multiple cancellations of international flights in view of the "geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfew in the airspaces of many countries in Europe and East Asia, the ongoing enhanced safety inspections, and also the necessary cautious approach being taken by the engineering staff and Air India pilots, the company said.
Over the last six days, 83 flights have been cancelled.
"Given the compounding circumstances that Air India is facing, to ensure stability of our operations, better efficiency and to minimise inconvenience to passengers, Air India has decided to reduce its international services on wide-body aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks," the statement read.
On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane from Ahmedabad to London crashed soon after take-off, killing 241 people on board and more than 30 on the ground. It had been the worst air crash in the country in decades.
"Air India remains in mourning on the tragic loss of 241 passengers and crew members aboard flight AI171. Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and communities affected by the accident," the statement read.
