Air India has initiated a brief discount of slightly below 5 % in its narrowbody flight operations, impacting choose home and short-haul worldwide routes via to fifteen July 2025. The transfer is being framed as a voluntary stabilisation measure geared toward enhancing on-time efficiency, lowering last-minute cancellations, and supporting operational continuity throughout its community.
The choice follows a wider inside assessment of the airline’s operational resilience, launched within the wake of the deadly AI171 crash earlier this month. That incident, which concerned a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on the Ahmedabad–London Gatwick route, prompted elevated scrutiny from India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate Common of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and led to obligatory inspections throughout the fleet.
On this second part of community recalibration, Air India has quickly suspended three routes — Bengaluru–Singapore (AI2392/2393), Pune–Singapore (AI2111/2110), and Mumbai–Bagdogra (AI551/552). These suspensions are efficient till mid-July, after which providers are anticipated to be reassessed.
Along with the route suspensions, frequency reductions have been utilized to 19 metropolis pairs, together with high-volume corridors equivalent to Delhi–Mumbai (down from 176 to 165 weekly flights), Delhi–Kolkata (70 to 63), and Delhi–Hyderabad (84 to 76). Different key routes affected embody Delhi–Goa, Mumbai–Coimbatore, and Mumbai–Ahmedabad.
The airline has acknowledged that the schedule modifications are being applied proactively to enhance network-wide reliability and keep away from unplanned cancellations. A spokesperson famous that the reductions are “voluntary and short-term in nature,” and had been launched following an inside operational evaluation.
Passenger help protocols have been activated, with Air India contacting affected travellers instantly to supply complimentary rescheduling, various flight choices, or full refunds. The revised schedules have been up to date throughout all digital and speak to centre platforms to make sure transparency and comfort.
The narrowbody schedule adjustment follows a earlier reduce of roughly 15 per cent to widebody worldwide providers earlier this month. That call additionally stemmed from the AI171 incident and its operational ripple results, which embody elevated plane inspection turnaround occasions and restricted availability of alternative capability.
Air India’s management has pressured that the curtailment is a brief however vital step to rebuild operational resilience. The airline can also be conducting extra security checks on its Boeing 777 fleet as a precautionary measure. The transfer has led to cancellation of over 83 flights within the final six days.
In accordance with sources, the airline is at present managing non permanent shortages in each plane and educated crew, exacerbated by a good international plane leasing surroundings and the staggered induction of recent Airbus A320neo items. The influence of regional airspace disruptions — together with rerouted flight paths over battle zones — has additionally added to scheduling pressures.
Not like low-cost carriers equivalent to IndiGo and Akasa Air, which proceed to scale operations with youthful fleets and streamlined fashions, Air India’s problem lies in navigating a legacy-heavy operational framework whereas present process a fleet and techniques overhaul underneath the Tata Group’s transformation plan.
Regardless of the cutbacks, Air India maintains practically 600 every day flights throughout its narrowbody community, overlaying over 120 home and regional routes. The airline reaffirmed that these modifications are non permanent and shall be reviewed in mid-July based mostly on operational stability, plane availability, and crew readiness.
Air India has reiterated its dedication to operational excellence, safety-first service supply, and customer-centric restoration efforts. Because the airline progresses via this part of transition, it has signalled that schedule realism and long-term trust-building stay high priorities in its community technique.
