Air India to resume international operations in phased manner after safety pause post Ahmedabad crash

Air India has announced a phased resumption of its international wide-body flight operations starting August 1, following a voluntary “safety pause” initiated in the aftermath of the tragic Ahmedabad–London Gatwick air crash. The pause was introduced to allow precautionary inspections and operational adjustments after a fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that claimed 260 lives.

The resumption plan comes shortly after the release of a preliminary investigation report, which revealed that both engine fuel control switches had moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' shortly after takeoff—an event that investigators believe triggered the accident. While the cause of the switch transition is still under investigation, the report did not assign fault to Air India or issue broader advisories for Boeing 787 operators.

In compliance with directives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India conducted extensive safety inspections of its Dreamliner fleet and additionally implemented voluntary checks. The resulting “safety pause” led to significant delays and cancellations across its international network.

Operational complexities were further exacerbated by airspace restrictions over Pakistan and West Asia, along with curfews at several international hubs. Factoring these disruptions, Air India had on June 18 announced a 15% cut in its international wide-body operations.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Tata Group-owned airline said:

“The safety pause allowed Air India to conduct additional precautionary inspections on its Boeing 787 fleet and adjust for longer flight durations caused by airspace closures.”

Air India will begin restoring select international routes from August 1, with a complete return to pre-pause operations targeted for October 1, 2025.

Key Schedule Changes and Restorations:
Ahmedabad–London Gatwick: Discontinued; replaced by a thrice-weekly Ahmedabad–London Heathrow service.

Delhi–London Heathrow: Back to 24 weekly flights.

Delhi–Zurich: Resumes with five weekly flights.

Delhi–Tokyo Haneda & Delhi–Seoul: Restored to seven and five weekly flights, respectively.

Delhi–Nairobi: Thrice-weekly service until end of August; suspended for September.

Meanwhile, some frequency reductions will continue until September 30:

Delhi–Paris: Cut to seven from 12 weekly flights.

Delhi–Milan: Reduced to three weekly from four.

Delhi & Mumbai–New York (JFK): Each route scaled back to six weekly flights.

Delhi–Newark: Reduced to four weekly flights.

Temporary suspensions remain in place for:

Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick

Bengaluru–Singapore

Pune–Singapore

The airline clarified that affected flights originally scheduled between August 1 and September 30, 2025, are being removed from the system in line with the gradual operational restart. Air India is contacting impacted passengers with rebooking options or full refund alternatives.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate the continued support of our passengers as we prioritise safety,” the airline said in its statement.