Dhaka: Air India has begun restoring international routes that were suspended following the June 12 crash of flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, with full service expected to resume by October 1, 2025, the airline confirmed in a press statement on Monday (July 14).

The phased return follows a voluntary “safety pause” during which the airline conducted additional checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and adjusted flight plans amid ongoing airspace restrictions over Pakistan and parts of the Middle East.

Select international flights will resume from August 1 as the airline gradually rebuilds its global network.

The preliminary report on the June 12 AI171 crash, which killed 260, found engine fuel control switches moved to ‘CUTOFF’ after takeoff. No fault was found with Air India. Following DGCA-mandated and voluntary Boeing 787 checks, the airline cut wide-body international flights by 15pc amid airspace and curfew disruptions.

Air India said its safety pause allowed extra checks on Boeing 787s and adjustments for longer flights due to airspace closures. Partial restoration begins August 1, with full resumption planned by October 1, 2025.

Notable changes include replacing Ahmedabad-London Gatwick (5x weekly) with London Heathrow (3x weekly) from August 1. Delhi-London Heathrow and Delhi-Zurich flights return to 24 and 5 weekly frequencies, respectively.

Delhi-Tokyo Haneda and Delhi-Seoul flights resume full weekly schedules. Delhi-Nairobi service returns thrice-weekly until August end, then pauses in September.

Most reduced routes stay unchanged until September. Some routes face further cuts—Delhi-Paris (7 vs. 12 weekly), Delhi-Milan (3 vs. 4), Delhi-New York JFK and Mumbai-New York JFK (6 vs. 7), and Delhi-Newark (4 vs. 5). Goa-London Gatwick, Bengaluru-Singapore, and Pune-Singapore remain suspended until September.

Air India is contacting affected passengers with rebooking or refunds and apologizes for the inconvenience.

-B