Air India terminates Delhi-Washington flight in Vienna, cancels return flight

Mumbai: An Air India flight from Delhi to Washington, which took off on July 2, could not complete its journey after it developed a technical glitch during a scheduled refuelling stopover in Vienna, the Tata Group-owned airline said on Thursday.

Consequently, its return flight from Washington to Delhi, scheduled on July 2, was also cancelled.

Of late, frequent delays and cancellations of long-haul flights by Air India have been causing severe inconvenience to passengers.

According to Air India statement, "Flight AI103 from Delhi to Washington, D.C. on July 2 made a planned fuel stop in Vienna. During routine aircraft checks, an extended maintenance task was identified, which required rectification before the next flight and, thus, additional time for completion." The airline further said as Vienna to Washington leg was cancelled, alternative arrangements were made for the stranded passengers.

Passengers eligible for visa-free entry or those with valid Schengen visas were provided hotel accommodations in Vienna until the next available flight, as per the airline.

For passengers without Schengen visas, accommodation was arranged, in liaison with immigration and security clearances by Austrian authorities, while others were rebooked on alternative flights, Air India said in the statement.

The airline said the passengers of the Washington-Delhi flight AI104 via Vienna were also rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi or offered full refunds based on their preferences.

Due to the closure of Pakistan airspace, west-bound flights from India are taking a longer route, requiring a halt in Vienna to meet crew duty and rest period norms.

Following an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, in which over 250 people were killed onboard and on the ground, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety inspection of the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet powered by GEnx engines.