An Air India flight from Singapore to Chennai was cancelled on Sunday, August 3, after the Airbus A321 aircraft scheduled to operate on the route developed a technical snag. The airline said the issue was detected before departure, and the aircraft required additional time for maintenance.
In a statement, Air India said, “The flight AI349 scheduled to operate from Singapore to Chennai has been cancelled due to a maintenance task identified prior to departure, which required additional time for rectification.”
The airline also informed that arrangements were being made to fly the affected passengers to Chennai at the earliest. Passengers are being provided hotel accommodation, and the airline is offering full refunds or complimentary rescheduling based on passenger preference.
ALSO READ: Misidentification scandal in Air India disaster victims’ repatriation shocks UK families
“Air India ground staff in Singapore are making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to the passengers due to this unforeseen disruption,” the statement added.
The cancellation comes amid a series of disruptions in Air India’s operations in recent days. On Friday, August 1, a flight from London to Delhi was delayed by more than 11 hours. The flight was originally scheduled to depart around 8.35 p.m. on August 1, but it was rescheduled for the following day, leaving passengers stranded at the airport.
Another incident occurred on Thursday, July 31, when a London-bound Air India flight from Delhi, with callsign AI-2017, was forced to return to the bay just before take-off. The cockpit crew detected a suspected technical issue and decided to discontinue the departure as a precaution.
“Flight AI-2017 operating from Delhi to London on July 31 returned to the bay due to a suspected technical issue. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the take-off run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks,” the airline said. An alternative aircraft was later arranged to operate the flight.
These incidents come shortly after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged 51 safety lapses at Air India during its annual audit. The lapses included outdated training manuals, incomplete pilot training, unqualified simulators, and irregularities in low-visibility operation approvals.
Out of the 51 findings, seven were marked as critical Level I breaches, which the airline was directed to resolve by July 30. The remaining 44 non-compliances must be addressed by August 23. The DGCA had earlier taken enforcement action against the airline, including grounding an aircraft that was found to have an overdue inspection of its emergency slide, which is an important safety feature.
