Air India to chop 15% of widebody worldwide flights amid Dreamliner security inspections

Air India stated on Wednesday it’s going to lower worldwide operations on its widebody plane by 15% for the subsequent few weeks, citing ongoing security inspections and operational disruptions following final week’s lethal crash of one among its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Authorities proceed to research the crash of flight AI171, which killed 241 folks and marked the world’s deadliest aviation catastrophe in a decade.

The airline stated in a press release that inspections had been accomplished on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 plane, and people 26 have been cleared for service.

The cuts, efficient till a minimum of mid-July, have been being carried out “to make sure stability of operations, higher effectivity and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” the Tata Group-owned airline stated.

The remaining planes will probably be checked within the coming days and extra checks are additionally deliberate for its Boeing 777 fleet, Air India added.

Flight AI171, sure for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all however one on board and about 30 folks on the bottom.

Earlier on Wednesday, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran stated the flight that crashed had a clear engine historical past.

In an interview with Indian broadcaster Instances Now, Chandrasekaran stated Air India flight 171’s proper engine was new and put in in March 2025, and that the left engine was final serviced in 2023.

The Dreamliner was fitted with GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines.

Air India additionally cited geopolitical tensions within the Center East and “evening curfews in lots of European and East Asian airspaces” as contributing components behind flight cancellations, which have totaled 83 over the previous six days.