Air India cancels six flights using Dreamliner, Boeing aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad, details here

In what may be called a deep erosion in the brand value of Boeing, Air India on Tuesday canceled six flights, all using 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. If reports are to be believed, the carrier canceled AI 915 (Delhi-Dubai), AI 153 (Delhi-Vienna), AI 143 (Delhi-Paris), AI 159 (Ahmedabad-London), AI 133 (Bengaluru-London) and AI 170 (London-Amritsar). Besides, a technical issue also affected a Dreamliner operating as AI 315 to Delhi and forced the pilot to fly back to Hong Kong. An Air India San Francisco-Mumbai flight suffered a technical snag the same day during a scheduled halt at Kolkata. Air India asked all passengers to deboard.

Air India Spokesperson says, "Flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris of 17 June has been cancelled. The mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue which is being presently addressed. However, in view of the flight coming under the restrictions on night operations at Paris Charles…

— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2025

Boeing's brand value gets eroded

The US aircraft manufacturer suffered another blow the same day as two Dreamliners operated by Lufthansa and British Airways were forced to return to their origin airports. They were flying from Frankfurt to Hyderabad and from London to Chennai. In a statement issued the same day, Air India admitted that its AI 143 service ran into an issue during pre-flight checks and the flight was canceled. 

Ahmedabad Plane Crash

Boeing's reputation suffered immensely in a few days as the number of cancellations and mid-air switchbacks related to the Dreamliner increased considerably. It happened after the tragedy on June 12, when Air India's AI 171, flying from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick, crashed seconds after they took off. In one of the most devastating air tragedies taking place in India, 241 of 242 people on board were killed. The lone survivor was a British citizen of Indian origin in seat 11A. Besides, not less than 33 people were killed on the ground. 

The NDF rescuers retrieved the voice and flight data recorders from AI 171. It is being analysed, but it could take months before the crash is explained properly. Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s, while IndiGo has one. However, most of the Air India aircraft are old, some more than ten years old.