Another Air India's AI2491 Mumbai-Lucknow flight cancelled due to ‘operational reasons' amid crash probe underway

Mint

18-06-2025

After several Air India flights were cancelled, another AI2491 flight from Mumbai to Lucknow was cancelled citing 'operational reasons". The airline attributed this to the 'cascading impact of flights' which got diverted during heavy rains in Delhi and said the replacement crews couldn't be arranged due to the weather condition.
'AI2491 from Mumbai to Lucknow on 17 June 2025 was cancelled due to operational reasons and the cascading impact of flights which got diverted during the heavy rains in Delhi. Delayed arrival of diverted flights led to the operating crew coming under regulatory flight duty time limitations norms. Replacement crew could not be immediately arranged due to the weather-related delays and disruptions," Air India said in a statement.
The airline's spokesperson mentioned, 'Inconvenience caused to passengers is sincerely regretted and every effort has been made to minimise it by providing hotel accommodation to the affected passengers. Full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling was also offered to them if opted. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination Lucknow at the earliest.'
Seven international flights were cancelled on Tuesday. The total number of cancellations rose more than 80 since the devastating Ahmedabad crash, which has led to the aviation safety watchdog showcasing concerns about its maintenance practices.
While Air India cancelled six flights due to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) inspections, a San Francisco-Kolkata-Mumbai service had to be cut short in Kolkata because of an engine snag on the Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Additionally, the airline stated that its Ahmedabad to London Gatwick flight was canceled due to a lack of available aircraft.
DGCA directed Air India to provide the training records of the pilots and dispatchers involved in flight AI171, which crashed just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad to London on June 12. The tragedy, which claimed the lives of over 270 people onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and on the ground, has triggered the airline's most severe crisis since its acquisition by the Tata Group three and a half years ago.
Civil aviation regulator DGCA stated it met senior officials of Air India and Air India Express, which runs more than 1,000 domestic and international flights daily, to assess "operational robustness" and 'ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations.'
"DGCA raised concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported by Air India," the statement added, noting the regulator has urged the airline to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availiablity of adequate spares to avoid passenger delays.
However, it said that recent checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet "did not reveal any major safety concerns". According to DGCA, 'The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be in compliance with existing safety standards.'