AI to restore slashed flights from October 1; partial resumption from next month

NEW DELHI: Air India will from August 1 partially start resuming flights that were slashed after the June 12 Ahmedabad crash and full restoration of schedule is expected from October 1. Terming it the “safety pause,” AI Tuesday said the cuts enabled it to “perform additional precautionary checks on Boeing 787 aircraft as well as accommodating longer flying times arising from airspace closures over Pakistan and the Middle East.” Between August 1 and September 30, AI will operate thrice weekly between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow, replacing the current five weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London (Gatwick), the airline said in a statement.

“Schedule reductions taken as part of the safety pause had been implemented until July 31, 2025, and the restoration to full operation is being phased, some services initially planned to operate between August 1 and Sept 30, 2025, will be removed from the schedule. AI is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer re-booking on alternative flights or a full refund, as per their preference. Air India apologises for the inconvenience. With the partial restoration, Air India operate more than 525 international flights per week on 63 short, long and ultra long-haul routes,” the statement said.

Routes that will remain suspended till Sept 30 include: Amritsar-London (Gatwick) (AI169/170); Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) (AI145/146); Bengaluru-Singapore (AI2392/2393) and Pune-Singapore (AI2111/2110).