Air India

Pilots' body FIP has served a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) regarding the summoning of a nephew of Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots who died in an Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad in June last year. In connection with its probe into the crash, AAIB has summoned Captain Varun Anand, nephew of the late Sabharwal and a narrow-body aircraft pilot with Air India. Anand is also a member of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP). Sabharwal was one of the pilots who operated the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 plane that crashed into a medical hostel complex on June 12, 2025, soon after take-off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick. As many as 260 people, including 241 on board the plane, were killed in the AI171 crash. "Captain Varun Anand is neither a factual witness nor a technical witness nor an expert witness in relation to the said accident. The sole basis for calling Captain Varun Anand appears to be his familial relationship with the deceased ...

An Air India A350 suffered major engine damage at Delhi airport after a cargo container fell onto the taxiway and was ingested during taxiing, prompting a DGCA probe into ground-handling safety

The damage to the airplane occurred as it was taxiing in dense fog in New Delhi, the carrier said. It did not disclose further details on the foreign object or the routes that could be affected

A Singapore-bound Air India flight, carrying around 190 people, returned to the national capital early Thursday as the Dreamliner aircraft operating the service suffered a technical issue, according to sources. The sources told PTI that there was an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) fire warning, following which the aircraft returned to Delhi after being airborne for around an hour. Passengers were flown to Singapore in an alternative aircraft. When contacted, an Air India spokesperson said that the operating crew of flight AI 2380 from Delhi to Singapore on January 14 decided to carry out a precautionary return to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to a suspected technical issue. "The aircraft landed safely in Delhi. Our ground teams at Delhi extended all necessary assistance to passengers and the flight departed for Singapore on an alternative aircraft," the spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson also regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers due to the unforeseen ...

International flights from India face delays and cancellations after Iran temporarily closed its airspace, prompting Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet to issue passenger advisories

Airlines issued advisories as dense fog reduced visibility across north India, causing flight delays, though operations at Delhi airport remained largely stable

With IndiGo and Air India ramping up fleet additions, India's skies are set to remain a duopoly till 2030, with the top two airlines controlling nearly 85% of aircraft capacity

Two Air India flights enroute to different UK cities were diverted to nearby airports there due to inclement weather on Thursday, according to the airline. One flight was from Mumbai to London Heathrow and the second was from Amritsar to Birmingham. These flights had taken off from India on Thursday and as per UK time, they were diverted on Thursday. The time difference between India and the UK is around 5.30 hours. Flight AI131 operating from Mumbai to London Heathrow was diverted to London Gatwick due to adverse weather conditions at the destination airport, the airline said in a statement. The Boeing 777 aircraft operating the flight had to hold over London Heathrow before diverting and making a priority landing in London Gatwick, the airline said. According to Air India, flight AI117 operating from Amritsar to Birmingham could not land at the destination airport and had to hold due to adverse weather conditions. The flight, operated with a Boeing 787 plane, was later diverted

Tata Group-owned Air India has taken delivery of the first line fit Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which is also the first Dreamliner to join the airline's fleet in more than eight years. An official on Thursday said Air India completed the title transfer of the Dreamliner at the Boeing's Everett factory in Seattle on January 7. After inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft, also first line fit Dreamliner to be taken by Air India after privatisation in January 2022, is expected to arrive in India in the next few days. The new aircraft has a three class configuration -- economy, premium economy and business class seats. The last line fit Dreamliner that was acquired by Air India was in October 2017 when the carrier was under the government ownership. Generally, line-fit refers to an aircraft specifically made for a particular airline. According to the official, the latest aircraft is the airline's first wide-body and 52nd overall delivery from the 220

Keeping in mind the gravity of the incident and the scale of loss involved, he said it is imperative that the ministry and the concerned authorities examine the information received

The Tata Group has begun scouting for a suitable candidate to head Air India, as the tenure of the incumbent, Campbell Wilson, will end next year, sources have said. Meanwhile, the Group is also looking to appoint a new Managing Director for its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express. Aloke Singh, will also be completing his tenure in the current position in 2027. "Both sides (Wilson and Tata Group) don't want a renewal (of the contract after 2027). So, it is but natural to go to the market to look for suitable candidates for the top job at Air India," said a source privy to the information. There were no comments from the Tata Group on this issue in response to a PTI query. Sources, however, said that it would take at least 3-6 months to finalise a suitable candidate for Air India, adding that if an overlap occurs, it would be good because the takeover would then become easier. The final report on the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash at Ahmedabad is expected around June. Significantl

The Air India crash that killed 260 passengers triggered scrutiny, with regulators noting lapses in emergency checks, engine maintenance, crew fatigue management, and instances of forgery

New airlines and eVTOL startups plan regional and electric takeoffs

An Air India pilot was arrested at Vancouver International Airport last week as he was preparing for a flight, with Canada's transportation agency warning the airline that it faced loss of its flight authorisations if it did not comply with rules about alcohol consumption. Transport Canada said in a statement Friday that the incident took place on December 23, and it would engage with Air India and Indian aviation authorities to ensure appropriate followup actions were taken. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the arrest occurred after a report of concern involving an airline crew member. Police said an investigation is ongoing and no further information would be released. A spokeswoman for the airport said the pilot had been preparing for Air India's scheduled daily flight from Vancouver to Delhi, which was delayed for several hours but later departed safely. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that the December 23 Air India flight from Vancouver to Delhi via Vienna w

Earlier this year, the DGCA proposed tightened rules on alcohol testing for crew members, including one that would have a pilot lose their license permanently after three positive tests

Mumbai-Delhi corridor ranks among world's top 10 as competition pushes fares lower

Transport Canada has asked Air India to investigate and report on corrective measures after a pilot was found unfit for duty due to alcohol on a December 23 Vancouver-Delhi flight, triggering enforcem

An Air India pilot was detained at Vancouver airport over an alleged alcohol concern, delaying a Delhi-bound flight and triggering probes by the airline and aviation regulator

Aviation watchdog DGCA has sought an explanation from Air India for operating a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner despite repetitive technical snags, according to sources. In a show-cause notice issued this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has flagged snags pertaining to Dreamliner VT-ANI. Non-compliance with the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) for the flight operated on June 28 this year has also been mentioned in the notice. According to sources, the regulator has flagged that there were safety concerns related to aircraft dispatch, MEL compliance and flight crew decision-making during the operation of flights AI 258 and AI 357. While details about the dates of operations for these flights could not be immediately ascertained, these flights operate on the Delhi-Tokyo route. Among other aspects, the regulator has mentioned that the aircraft was operated despite prior knowledge of repeated snags and existing system degradations, the sources said. There was no comment fro

The Indian aviation will hope for less turbulence and long-term solutions in 2026 after a year of disasters and disruptions that not only snuffed out lives of 260 people but also massively impacted travel plans of thousands of people towards the fag end with IndiGo flight cancellations as well as air traffic control woes. As the New Year dawns, aviation stakeholders as well as the common people will be looking for the much-awaited probe report into the AI171 plane crash on June 12, 2025 apart from more safe helicopter operations, especially in the Kedarnath valley, and less steep fluctuation in air ticket prices. While airfare caps became a recurring theme in 2026, airlines continued to bleed with airspace closures and network disruptions even as the duopolistic-domestic market witnessed expansion of air connectivity. On the positive side, Navi Mumbai International Airport commenced operations on December 25, and the Noida International Airport will be open for flights from January