Air India Cancels 66 Dreamliner Flights Post Ahmedabad Crash; DGCA Flags Maintenance Concerns

New Delhi : India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), announced late Tuesday that Air India has cancelled 66 Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights following the tragic Ahmedabad crash on June 12 involving the same aircraft model.

In a statement, the DGCA clarified that a recent inspection of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. “The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards,” the statement read.

Despite this, the DGCA noted recent maintenance-related issues at Air India and instructed the airline to enhance coordination between departments to ensure operational safety and reliability.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review of Air India and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, in the aftermath of the June 12 crash that claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 passengers and caused multiple fatalities on the ground.

The cancelled flights since June 12 include Dreamliner-operated routes, including several that were scheduled for today. The regulator emphasized that the cancellations are part of precautionary measures and ongoing performance assessments.

A high-level meeting was held earlier today between DGCA officials and senior executives of both Air India and Air India Express to evaluate their operational resilience and ensure continued adherence to safety and passenger service standards.

Air India and its subsidiary currently operate over 1,000 flights daily across domestic and international sectors. The DGCA’s scrutiny aims to prevent further mishaps and reinforce safety across India’s aviation landscape.