Multiple Air India services cancelled over technical issues; Kochi-Delhi flight lands after 4 hour delay

New Delhi: Air India faced a string of flight disruptions on Tuesday, cancelling multiple international and domestic services due to a combination of technical glitches, airspace restrictions, and airport operation constraints. The affected routes include Delhi–Paris, Ahmedabad–London, and San Francisco–Mumbai, with hundreds of passengers either stranded at airports or diverted to alternate arrangements. A Kochi-Delhi flight was diverted to Amritsar due to heavy rain and wind, but eventually landed in Delhi nearly four hours behind schedule.

Kochi-Delhi flight
New Delhi: Passengers on Air India Flight AI 0822 from Kochi to Delhi faced a tense journey on Tuesday after the aircraft was forced to divert to Amritsar due to bad weather, eventually landing in Delhi nearly four hours behind schedule.

The flight, which departed Kochi at 11.35 am, was scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 2.55 pm. However, heavy rain and strong winds in the national capital disrupted the approach. The pilot reportedly attempted to land the plane twice, but both attempts were aborted due to unsafe conditions.

“The runway was visible, but the tailwinds became dangerously strong just as we prepared to land,” the pilot later explained, adding that safety concerns prompted the decision not to proceed with the landing.

The plane was then diverted to Amritsar, where it landed safely. After refuelling and a brief halt, it departed again and finally landed in Delhi around 7.00 pm.

Passengers, especially those travelling with infants and those booked on connecting international flights, were visibly anxious—particularly in the wake of the recent Ahmedabad plane crash. The prolonged delay and mid-air turbulence added to the tension on board.

The weather was reportedly turbulent from the time of takeoff, with conditions deteriorating further as the aircraft neared Delhi. These cancellations and delays come just days after Air India flight AI-171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 270 people, including 29 on the ground. Since then, the airline has reportedly tightened its pre-flight protocols, resulting in delays and additional checks across its fleet.

Delhi–Paris flight 
Air India cancelled flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris scheduled for June 17 after a technical issue was found during mandatory pre-flight checks. The airline stated that while the issue is currently being addressed, the night operation curbs at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport made rescheduling unfeasible, leading to the cancellation of both the outbound and return leg (AI142 Paris–Delhi) of the flight.

Passengers were offered hotel accommodation, full refunds, or free rescheduling, according to the airline. “We are making alternative arrangements to fly passengers to their destination at the earliest,” Air India said in a statement.

Ahmedabad–London service cancelled
Air India cancelled flight AI-159 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, citing the unavailability of aircraft following airspace restrictions and precautionary checks in the aftermath of the June 12 crash of flight AI-171.

A spokesperson for the airline clarified that the cancellation was not due to any technical fault, as speculated. “The longer turnaround times due to enhanced checks post-crash have impacted aircraft availability,” the spokesperson said. The return flight AI-170 from London to Amritsar was also cancelled.

The Ahmedabad–London route, which had resumed only a day earlier with a new flight code after the crash that killed 270 people, was scheduled to depart at 3 pm Tuesday. Passengers were offered refunds, hotel stays, and complimentary rebooking options.

San Francisco–Mumbai flight terminated
In Kolkata, Air India’s San Francisco–Mumbai flight AI180 was terminated mid-route at its scheduled stopover early Tuesday after a technical snag developed in one of the engines of the Boeing 777-200 LR.

The aircraft had landed in Kolkata at 12.45 am but did not proceed further after routine post-landing checks revealed an issue with the left engine. Passengers, including those with connecting flights from Mumbai, were left confused and frustrated as updates were delayed. After several postponements, the flight was formally cancelled around 5.20 am.

A PTI reporter onboard said engineers worked for hours in light rain, but the fault could not be resolved. The airline began arranging hotel accommodation and food for the 211 affected passengers. Some were rebooked on alternate flights, while others were waiting for updates at the airport.

In all three incidents, Air India has said that it is working to rebook affected travellers or offer full refunds. Hotel stays and meals are being arranged for stranded passengers where necessary. The airline has urged passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport and follow its official communication channels for updates.

Flight disruptions were also affected by airspace closures over Iran and Pakistan, due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which has forced rerouting and longer flight paths for many services bound to Europe and North America.