Ahmedabad: An Air India flight scheduled to depart from Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick) on Tuesday afternoon was cancelled, leaving numerous passengers stranded and frustrated. The airline cited "operational issues" as the reason for the cancellation of flight AI-159, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a development that comes just days after a catastrophic crash involving a previous Air India flight on the same route.
Flight AI-159, which had been renumbered from the ill-fated AI-171 that crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12th, was initially delayed before its eventual cancellation. Passengers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport expressed significant dismay, reporting a lack of clear communication from airline officials regarding the reason for the cancellation or details on fare refunds.
An Air India spokesperson later clarified that the cancellation was "due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag as claimed." The airline stated it was making alternative arrangements for affected passengers, offering hotel accommodation, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling. This cancellation also led to the subsequent cancellation of flight AI-170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar.
The aviation sector in India remains under intense scrutiny following the June 12th crash, which resulted in a significant loss of life on board and on the ground. The repeated disruptions and cancellations, including a recent deboarding of passengers from a San Francisco-Mumbai flight in Kolkata due to an engine snag, have raised considerable concerns among travelers regarding safety protocols and operational efficiency. Investigations into the cause of the tragic AI-171 crash are ongoing, with authorities working to retrieve and analyze the aircraft's black boxes.