Air India Cancels Ahmedabad–London Flight Due to Technical Fault Days After Fatal Crash

Air India has grounded another international flight following the discovery of a technical malfunction, just days after a catastrophic crash on the same route claimed 241 lives.

Flight AI159, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was scheduled to depart Ahmedabad, Gujarat, at 1:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday and land at London Gatwick Airport by 6:25 p.m. However, routine pre-departure checks revealed a technical issue, leading to the immediate cancellation of the flight. Passengers were left stranded at the airport, awaiting further updates from the airline.

Local media reports indicate that the aircraft had just completed a flight from New Delhi before the problem was identified. The airline has not released specific details about the nature of the fault.

This development comes in the wake of the recent crash of Air India Flight AI171—the same Ahmedabad to London route—when the aircraft plummeted into a residential neighbourhood last Thursday. That disaster resulted in the deaths of 241 of the 242 individuals onboard. The sole survivor was identified as 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a father of two.

Flight AI159 is a newly renumbered service replacing the ill-fated AI171. Aviation authorities have since launched urgent inspections of Air India’s fleet of Dreamliner aircraft to assess potential systemic faults or overlooked maintenance issues.

Tragically, AI171 had been carrying a diverse group of passengers, including 159 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese passengers, and one Canadian. The magnitude of the tragedy has cast a shadow over the airline and triggered scrutiny over its operational safety standards.

Interestingly, flight tracking data shows that an AI159 flight did land at London Gatwick a day earlier, albeit after a delay of roughly three hours. It was reported that one of the passengers aboard that flight had originally booked a seat on AI171 but changed their travel plans at the last minute, narrowly escaping the disaster.

The cancellation of Tuesday’s AI159 flight has reignited concerns about Air India’s fleet reliability, especially in light of heightened sensitivity following the recent crash. Authorities and aviation regulators are now under pressure to ensure stricter safety protocols and transparent communication with the public as investigations and inspections continue.