‘Not due to technical snag’: Air India clarifies after flight AI 159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick gets cancelled

Air India has issued a statement after its flight AI159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick got cancelled, clarifying it was not due to a technical snag. The flight, as per the airline, was unavailable due to airspace restrictions and precautionary checks.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, an Air India spokesperson said that the Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight was unavailable due to longer turnaround time of the aircraft, denying reports of ‘technical snag’.

“Flight AI159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick has been cancelled today due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag as claimed,” Air India said.

The airline said that it has provided alternative arrangement for passengers and have provided them with hotel accommodations.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and have made alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination. We are providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted by the passengers,” Air India said.

As a result of this, flight AI170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar was also cancelled.

"Consequently, flight AI170 from London Gatwick to Amritsar on 17th June stands cancelled,” the airline said.

Air India's Ahmedabad-London flight cancelled

Air India's flight to London's Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad was cancelled on Tuesday due to “operational issues”, an official said earlier. The flight has been operating under the new code post-June 12 AI-171 Air India plane crash.

The Air India's official website had also confirmed that the AI-159 flight from Ahmedabad to the Gatwick airport in London stands cancelled after it was rescheduled. The plane was scheduled to depart at 3 pm from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad.

"We have been informed that the flight has been cancelled due to operational issues. The original flight from Ahmedabad to London, having code AI-171, resumed operation from Monday with a new flight code AI-159," the airport official was quoted as saying by PTI.

Air India plane crash

In a horrific incident on June 12, 241 people on board of Air India's Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight suffered a deadly crash. The plane, with 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the airport at 1.39 pm.

While 241 people died on spot with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashing, one person miraculously survived.

Following the Air India plane crash, the DGCA ordered the airline to run safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet.