Amid continuing disruptions, Air India has announced a significant schedule revision, suspending services on three international routes and cutting 38 flights per week between June 21 and July 15, 2025. The decision follows the carrier’s earlier move to temporarily reduce wide-body aircraft operations by 15%.
Owned by the Tata Group, the airline cited the need to restore schedule stability and reduce last-minute passenger inconvenience following the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.
“These reductions will be effective from June 21, 2025, and last until at least 15 July 2025,” the airline said in a statement.
Air India has temporarily halted services on the following international sectors until July 15:
Delhi–Nairobi (4 flights per week)
Amritsar–London Gatwick (3 flights per week)
Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick (3 flights per week)
In addition to route suspensions, Air India will reduce the number of flights across 18 international sectors connecting India to North America, Europe, Australia, and the Far East.
Delhi–Toronto
Delhi–Vancouver
Delhi–San Francisco
Delhi–Chicago
Delhi–Washington
Delhi–London Heathrow
Bengaluru–London Heathrow
Amritsar–Birmingham
Delhi–Birmingham
Delhi–Paris
Delhi–Milan
Delhi–Copenhagen
Delhi–Vienna
Delhi–Amsterdam
Delhi–Melbourne
Delhi–Sydney
Delhi–Tokyo Haneda
Delhi–Seoul Incheon
Air India’s CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson addressed flyers earlier, underlining that enhanced pre-flight safety checks would continue for the Boeing 787 fleet, and additionally for Boeing 777 aircraft.
“Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, Air India has decided to reduce its international wide-body flights by around 15 per cent starting June 20, through to at least mid-July,” Wilson said.
The airline also issued an apology to affected travellers:
“Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days,” the Air India chief said.
With passenger safety and operational stability as top priorities, Air India's decision to temporarily suspend and reduce international flight operations highlights the airline’s proactive approach in addressing current challenges.
The move, while necessary, brings a period of uncertainty and inconvenience for international travellers, especially those flying to and from Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East. The airline’s enhanced safety checks, coupled with external disruptions such as airspace closures in the Middle East, night-time restrictions at major airports, and technical factors, have collectively led to these service adjustments.
Travellers are strongly advised to regularly monitor their flight status, check for rescheduling options, and stay in touch with the airline for the latest updates. While these disruptions are expected to continue through mid-July 2025, the airline has expressed regret and reaffirmed its commitment to restoring full service as soon as feasible, without compromising on safety or reliability.