New Delhi— Air India has announced that all its international flight operations will be fully restored by October 1, marking the end of a “Safety Pause” introduced in June following the AI171 incident. The airline had begun a phased resumption of services on August 1.
CEO Campbell Wilson, in a message to Maharaja Club members, confirmed that the airline had conducted detailed inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, supervised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). No safety concerns were found during the inspections. Additional checks of fuel control switch mechanisms on Boeing 737 and 787-8 aircraft also delivered satisfactory results.
“We continue to work closely with regulators, maintaining full transparency and ensuring every action aligns with the highest safety and care standards,” Wilson stated.
The “Safety Pause”, implemented on June 19, involved a strategic scale-down of flights to conduct pre-flight inspections, and to manage operational disruptions caused by regional airspace restrictions. The downtime was also used to upgrade aircraft reliability systems and improve delay management protocols.
Air India reaffirmed that all its aircraft undergo multiple layers of safety checks before every flight. The Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) tracks each flight in real-time, while the airline’s crew and engineers undergo continuous training at the Air India Training Academy, which adheres to global safety procedures.
Wilson highlighted that Air India operates under a Safety Management System compliant with both DGCA and ICAO standards. The airline is audited annually by the DGCA and biannually by IATA’s Operational Safety Audit, conducted by external experts. The DGCA recently termed Air India’s audit outcomes as “entirely normal” for an airline of its scale.
Since its privatisation, Air India has made significant efforts to bolster safety, including appointing Oliver Wyman/CAVOK for a comprehensive review and partnering with Boeing for an Operational Efficacy Programme to modernise internal systems.
Wilson acknowledged recent flight disruptions and reassured passengers that corrective actions are underway. He also shared that Air India’s fleet retrofit programme is on track, aimed at enhancing in-flight comfort and passenger experience.
“So, whenever you choose to fly with Air India, know that your trust is valued and your journey safeguarded by our entire Air India family,” Wilson concluded.
