Air India AI2491 Mumbai-Lucknow Flight Canceled Amid Crash Probe

After multiple recent cancellations, Air India’s AI2491 Mumbai-Lucknow flight was cancelled on June 17, citing “operational reasons.” The airline blamed the cascading impact of flight diversions caused by heavy rains in Delhi, which led to crew duty limitations and an inability to arrange replacements promptly.

In a statement, Air India explained, “AI2491 was cancelled due to delayed arrival of diverted flights and inability to arrange replacement crew due to weather-related disruptions.” The airline apologized for the inconvenience, offered hotel accommodation, full refunds, and free rescheduling for affected passengers.

This comes as Air India battles an ongoing aviation crisis following the June 12 crash of AI171—a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, which crashed shortly after takeoff, killing over 270 people. The crash marked the airline’s worst disaster since its privatization under the Tata Group.

Following the tragedy, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) launched extensive inspections and requested training records of the crew involved. It also cancelled six Air India flights due to compliance checks, while other disruptions included engine snags and aircraft unavailability.

A San Francisco-Kolkata-Mumbai service was halted mid-journey due to a Boeing 777 engine issue, and an Ahmedabad to London Gatwick flight was cancelled due to lack of aircraft.

The DGCA has since issued a warning to Air India to strengthen maintenance practices, enhance coordination among departments, and ensure adequate spare parts to reduce delays. Despite this, the DGCA confirmed that recent checks on Air India’s 787 fleet revealed no major safety lapses and found systems in compliance with current aviation standards.

This series of incidents has significantly dented public confidence, as cancellations have now crossed 80 flights since the crash, putting immense pressure on the national carrier’s safety reputation and crisis response mechanisms.