Air India to progressively restore international flights stopped after June 12 crash
The airline also announced that it will be moving three out of its five weekly flights between Ahmedabad and London's Gatwick airport to the British capital's Heathrow airport instead, for a period of two months from August 1.
Between July 16 and August 1, the airline will restore seven flights to destinations such as London, Zurich, Tokyo, and Seoul. During the same period, the airline will operate 13 fewer flights to European destinations as compared to its full schedule, and 20 fewer flights to the U.S. and Canada. Destinations in Australia will continue to see four fewer flights. Some services to London and Singapore will remain suspended till September 30.
15% cut in international flights
The DGCA had ordered enhanced checks for Air India's 33 Boeing 787 aircraft, which had led to long delays and cancellations of flights, inviting flak from passengers.
Following the DGCA's intervention, Air India announced it was curtailing 15% of its internatIonal flights due to disruptions caused due to a combination of factors, including airspace closures over Pakistan and the Middle East. The cut was announced for a period of a month, and later extended until the end of July.
Checks of fuel control switch locks
Tuesday's (July 15, 2025) announcement also follows last week's interim probe report into the June 12 crash that killed 260 people. The report did not recommend any extra measures for either the aircraft type or its engines.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson told airline employees on an internal platform that all Boeing 787s had been checked since the crash, and were found 'fit-to-fly'. Since the interim report found that the lock on the switches that supply fuel to the two engines had moved or 'transitioned' before both engines shut down, the airline has also started inspecting the lock feature for the fuel control switches. This exercise has been carried out for 50% of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet.
On Monday (July 14, 2025), the DGCA ordered all airlines with Boeing aircraft to carry out this inspection by July 21.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
EU announces sanctions on Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy, lowers price cap on Russian crude
The European Union (EU) is sanctioning Indian crude oil refiner Nayara Energy as part of its latest tranche of actions against Russia over the country's war in Ukraine. The EU has also decided to lower the price cap on seaborne Russian crude from the prevailing level of $60 per barrel. Russian oil giant Rosneft owns 49.13% per cent in the company, which was rechristened to Nayara Energy from Essar Oil after the Essar group sold the refinery a few years back. Nayara Energy has a 20-million-tonnes-per-annum refinery in Gujarat's Vadinar, and operates a network of around 6,800 fuel retail outlets. It also sells part of its fuel production to public sector oil marketing companies. The action would mean that Nayara Energy would not be able to export petroleum fuels and products to Europe, and potentially hit any of its dealings with European companies. It could also hit Rosneft's plan to exit Nayara as the EU sanctions could spook prospective investors. To be sure, Nayara Energy is not a big fuel exporter to Europe, and is estimated to have accounted for around 4 per cent of India's total fuel exports to Europe so far in 2025, according to industry data. Reliance Industries (RIL) is the biggest fuel exporter in the country, and accounted for around 90 per cent of fuel exports from India to Europe so far this year. The lower price cap on Russian crude, which has not been specified yet, could be beneficial for India if the new cap is strictly enforced. This is because India is a major importer of Russian crude and if the price of Russian barrels reduces due to a lower price cap, it could potentially lower the cost of imports for India. Currently, Russian crude accounts for around 40 per cent of India's total oil import volumes. Industry insiders said that the likely impact of the EU actions is not clear yet, and clarity is likely only when details of the sanctions and the new price cap emerge. Importantly, it has to be seen whether the United States will join the EU in these measures, as US action could have far greater consequences in terms of enforcement of the sanctions. 'We are standing firm. The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date. We're cutting the Kremlin's war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks' access to funding. Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap. We are putting more pressure on Russia's military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones. For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow,' Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, posted on social media platform X. In her social media posts, Kallas did not provide additional details of the EU's latest sanctions package against Russia. The EU and the US are increasing pressure on Moscow to reach a peace deal with Kyiv and end the Russia-Ukraine war that began in February 2022. Energy exports are the biggest revenue generators for Moscow and Western powers have been targeting this revenue stream to force the Kremlin's hand into ending the Ukraine war. The US, EU, and a few other powers had imposed a price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian crude, as per which Western shippers and insurers cannot participate in Russian oil trade if the price of Moscow's crude is above that level. Payment for oil cargoes in breach of the price cap cannot be in US dollars or Euros. According to industry sources, significant volumes of Russian crude imported by India are transported by the so-called shadow fleet—vessels effectively controlled by Russia—that doesn't rely on Western shipping and insurance, which means that such shipments need not adhere to the price cap. The price cap is adhered to for cargoes that depend on Western shipping and insurance. To be sure, Indian refiners buy Russian crude on a delivered basis, which means that transportation and insurance are arranged by the seller. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
United News of India
26 minutes ago
- United News of India
Russia to mull countermeasures against new EU sanctions post analysis, says Dy FM
World Moscow, July 18 (UNI) Amid the European Union's approval of a new sanctions package against Russia, specifically targeting the country's oil market, Moscow has not ruled out countermeasures to tackle the measure, after it concludes its analysis of the 18th round of European sanctions, said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. Speaking to Moscow's state-owned-media TASS, Grushko said "Certainly, we will analyse their impact on our economy. We will take measures supporting our interests in case of necessity. And some countermeasures are also possible." In its latest round of sanctions, the EU has expanded its blacklisting of individuals and legal entities associated with Russia, lowered the price ceiling for Russian oil purchases in the EU, excluded the possibility of resuming Nord Stream gas pipelines' operations, introduced restrictions against oil tankers and banks, and set forth new export restrictions. UNI ANV GNK
Economic Times
31 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Tata Motors-owned JLR delays launch of Range Rover, Jaguar EVs
British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has delayed the launch of its electric Range Rover and Jaguar models to allow time for more testing and for demand to pick up, The Guardian reported on Friday. JLR has told customers deliveries of the Range Rover Electric will not start until next year, the report said, while a source told the newspaper that Jaguar's first EV will start production in August 2026. Deliveries of the Range Rover Electric were originally supposed to begin late 2025. The models, which are the first electric models to be manufactured directly by JLR, required extended testing, which partly led to the delay, the report added. "Our plans and vehicle architectures are flexible so we can adapt to different market and client demands," the company said in a statement to Reuters, while maintaining that it would sell electric versions for all of its brands by 2030. The "Defender" SUV maker did not respond to any other details in the Guardian report. Earlier this month, the Tata Motors-owned automaker posted a 10.7% drop in first-quarter sales, hit by a temporary pause in shipments to the U.S and a wind-down of the Jaguar brand's legacy models. Production of the Range Rover Velar's electric version, slated for production from April 2026, could also be delayed further, the report said. The company in June cut its target for earnings margin before interest and taxes for the fiscal year 2026 to 5%-7%, from 10%, amid uncertainty in the global auto industry spurred by U.S. tariffs.
