Multiple Air India flights cancelled amid safety checks, airspace restrictions | India News

NEW DELHI: Air India on Tuesday cancelled several international flights, including services to London, Paris, San Francisco and Dubai, attributing the disruptions to airspace restrictions, safety checks, and operational constraints.The affected flights included:

In a statement, the airline clarified that flight AI159 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was cancelled due to “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 cancellation comes just two days after a deadly crash on the same route.Air India’s Delhi-Paris service (AI143) was also cancelled after pre-flight checks identified an issue. The airline added that with Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport enforcing night flight restrictions, the aircraft could not be dispatched in time. “The mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue which is being presently addressed,” said an airline spokesperson.Separately, a San Francisco-Mumbai flight was grounded after landing early Tuesday when a post-landing inspection raised concerns. The Airbus A321-211 aircraft (VT-PPL) had earlier faced operational delays, during which the crew exceeded their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), prompting further delay.Additionally, an Air India Express flight from Delhi to Ranchi was diverted back to Delhi on Monday due to a suspected technical issue. The Boeing 737 Max 8 resumed normal operations after inspection and clearance.