Air India Temporarily Cuts Over 100 Weekly Flights amid Operational Review Post-Ahmedabad Crash

Moneylife Digital Team 23 June 2025

Consumer Interest

Air India has announced temporary reductions in its flight schedule, affecting 118 weekly services on 19 domestic routes and suspending operations on three additional routes two international and one domestic as part of efforts to stabilise operations. This move follows disruptions triggered by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on 12th June.

These temporary changes will impact approximately 5% of the airline’s narrow-body operations and will remain in place at least until 15 July 2025.

#ImportantUpdate

Following previous announcements of temporary reductions in Air India’s widebody international services, the airline today announced temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrowbody network.

This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of…
— Air India (@airindia) June 22, 2025

Earlier directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has issued a stern warning to Air India, threatening suspension of its license over repeated violations of aviation norms. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the regulator has flagged consistent breaches related to crew scheduling, licensing, and flight time limitations. The DGCA has made it clear that any future violations will invite strict enforcement action against the airline.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Tata group-owned airline said, “This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India’s services on three routes and reduced frequency on 19 others.” The cuts are part of an overall strategy to enhance operational reliability and minimise last-minute flight disruptions for passengers.

Among the suspended routes are seven weekly flights each on Bengaluru–Singapore, Pune–Singapore and Mumbai–Bagdogra.

Flight frequencies have also been trimmed on several high-traffic routes. These include:

Delhi–Mumbai: down to 165 weekly flights

Delhi–Bengaluru: reduced to 113

Delhi–Kolkata: 63

Delhi–Pune: 54

Delhi–Hyderabad:76

Mumbai–Bengaluru:84

Mumbai–Ahmedabad:37

Mumbai–Hyderabad:59

Other affected routes include Delhi–Indore, Delhi–Lucknow, Delhi–Goa (both Dabolim and Mopa airports), Mumbai–Kolkata, Mumbai–Coimbatore, Mumbai–Kochi, and Mumbai–Varanasi.

Despite the cuts, Air India confirmed that it will continue operating nearly 600 daily flights using narrow-body aircraft across 120 domestic and short-haul international destinations.

The airline stressed that the adjustments are a proactive measure to ensure reliability and consistent service, especially during a challenging period. It also apologised to affected passengers and is offering alternatives such as complimentary rescheduling, re-accommodation on other flights, or full refunds.

Earlier, on 19 June 2025, Air India had announced a temporary reduction of 38 international flights per week and suspended three overseas routes, effective from 21 June 2025 to 15 July 2025 . (Read : Air India Chief Speaks Out After AI171 Crash, Announces 15% Reduction in Long-Haul Flights for Safety)

These moves mark a broader effort by the airline to recalibrate its operations and ensure safety and consistency across its network in the wake of recent disruptions.

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