Air India Ahmedabad–London Flight Cancelled Due to Operational Issues; Passengers Left Uncertain
Representational Image. Air India's flight AI-159 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was cancelled on Tuesday due to operational issues. Passengers faced confusion and delays as no clear information was provided. The flight had recently replaced AI-171, which crashed on June 12.
Air India's flight from Ahmedabad to London, scheduled for departure on Tuesday afternoon, was cancelled due to operational issues, according to airport officials.
The airline’s official website confirmed that flight AI-159, which was to fly to London Gatwick Airport, had been cancelled. The flight was originally scheduled to take off at 3 PM from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
An airport official explained that the cancellation was due to operational reasons. The official added that the original flight, previously coded as AI-171, had resumed service from Monday with the new code AI-159.
A passenger booked on the cancelled flight informed ANI that they were scheduled to travel to Gatwick on the 1 PM flight but learned of the cancellation shortly before departure. The passenger also noted that crew members did not provide any explanation for the cancellation or information regarding fare refunds.
A relative of another passenger reported that passengers were told the flight had been cancelled and would now depart at 11:00 AM the following day. The relative mentioned that many travelers were facing inconvenience as a result.
Another passenger described the situation at the airport as chaotic, stating that there was no clear communication about the next steps. After a couple of hours of waiting, they were informed that the issue couldn’t be resolved, and passengers were asked to deplane.
The same passenger remarked that technical problems are a normal part of flying, and they had witnessed similar issues on various international airlines. They added that they had booked the ticket two to three weeks in advance and had now been rescheduled to another flight at 7 PM.
Officials did not provide specific details about the operational issues that caused the flight to be cancelled.
It is important to note that flight AI-171, which earlier operated on the same route, crashed on June 12 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The crash led to the death of 241 out of 242 passengers and crew members. Following this incident, the flight number was changed to AI-159.
