Air India to Resume Select International Flights from August 1 After Crash Halt

New Delhi, July 16 — Air India will begin a phased resumption of international flight operations from August 1, following a temporary suspension of several routes after the June 12 crash of flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Tata Group-owned carrier clarified that while some services will be restored in August, full international operations will resume from October 1, 2025.

“The partial resumption will see restoration of some frequencies from 1st August, relative to July, with full restoration planned from 1st October 2025,” the airline said.

Background: June 12 Tragedy

The suspension followed a tragic incident on June 12, when Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all 260 passengers and crew. The aircraft went down near a hostel close to the airport, sparking a massive investigation and global scrutiny of the airline’s safety standards.

In response, Air India undertook a “Safety Pause”, grounding some of its international services to conduct additional checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and adjust flight times due to airspace restrictions over Pakistan and the Middle East.

Routes Being Restored in August

The airline confirmed gradual restoration on key routes:

• From August 1 to September 30, Air India will operate three weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London Heathrow, down from the earlier five weekly flights to London Gatwick.
• From July 16, Air India has fully reinstated 24 weekly flights between Delhi and London Heathrow, which had earlier been curtailed.
• Also starting August 1, Delhi-Zurich flights will increase from four to five weekly services.

Meanwhile, operations on some long-haul routes remain reduced. Flights to North American cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Toronto, Vancouver, and San Francisco will continue at a slightly lower frequency than usual.

Flights to Melbourne and Sydney will operate at five weekly frequencies, instead of the pre-crash seven.

“As the schedule reductions taken as part of the Safety Pause had been implemented until 31 July 2025 and the restoration to full operation is being phased, some services initially planned to operate between 1 August and 30 September 2025 will be removed from the schedule,” the airline noted.

Passenger Support and Refunds

Air India has begun contacting affected passengers to offer re-booking options or a full refund, depending on individual preference.

“Air India apologises for the inconvenience,” the statement added.

IT.