Air India partially restores international flights in the aftermath of AI-171 crash, check list here

Air India on Tuesday announced a phased restoration of its international flight schedule following a “Safety Pause” it implemented after the fatal AI171 incident on June 12, 2025. The airline had temporarily reduced operations to conduct precautionary checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and manage extended flying times due to ongoing airspace restrictions over Pakistan and the Middle East.

Starting August 1, 2025, Air India will gradually resume services and increase frequencies on select international routes. A full return to the pre-pause schedule is targeted for October 1, 2025.

Key Updates:

New Route

From August 1 to September 30, a new Ahmedabad–London Heathrow service will operate thrice weekly, replacing the current five-times-weekly Ahmedabad–London Gatwick flights.

Reinstated or Increased Frequencies

• Delhi–London Heathrow: Full restoration of 24 weekly flights from July 16.

• Delhi–Zurich: Increased to five weekly flights from August 1.

• Delhi–Tokyo Haneda: Restored to daily service from August 1.

• Delhi–Seoul Incheon: Full five-times-weekly service resumes September 1.

• Delhi–Nairobi: Services are reinstated three times a week until August 31, followed by a temporary suspension in September.

Ongoing Reductions (Until September 30)

Several key routes will remain partially suspended or operate at reduced frequencies:

North America:

• Delhi–Washington, Delhi–Chicago, Delhi–Toronto, and Delhi–Vancouver continue operating with fewer weekly frequencies.

• Delhi–New York (JFK), Mumbai–New York (JFK), and Delhi–Newark will also see frequency reductions in mid-July and August.

Europe:

• Routes such as Delhi–Paris, Delhi–Milan, and Delhi–Birmingham will continue at reduced capacity through August and September.

• Delhi–Amsterdam resumes full service (7x weekly) from August 1.

Australia:

• Delhi–Melbourne and Delhi–Sydney remain at five weekly flights.

Far East:

• Delhi–Tokyo and Delhi–Seoul will ramp up by September, though Bengaluru–Singapore and Pune–Singapore remain suspended through September

Continued Suspension of Select Routes (Until September 30)

Amritsar–London Gatwick, Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick, Bengaluru–Singapore, and Pune–Singapore services will remain temporarily suspended.

Air India stated it is in the process of contacting affected passengers with options for alternative flights or full refunds. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing adjustments.

With the partial restoration, Air India will operate over 525 international flights per week across 63 routes, including short-haul, long-haul, and ultra-long-haul sectors.