Air India fares drop after Boeing 787 crash; fleet inspections lead to flight cancellations and reduced operations
Air India fares have fallen significantly across both domestic and international routes following the crash of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner last week. Data from travel platform ixigo showed a sharp drop in Advance Purchase Days (APD) fares, tickets bought between zero and fifteen days before travel, compared to the previous week. The analysis compared average one-way fares for the June 13–19 period with those from June 6–12.According to an ET report, on international routes, several key sectors recorded decreases. Fares from New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur dropped by 16% to Rs 11,389. Other routes, such as Dubai and Sydney, saw 5% declines, while fares to Melbourne dropped 2%. A 1% drop was noted on some flights from Mumbai.Routes to Germany, Hong Kong, and Australia also saw falling fares, while ticket prices to the UK increased, ET reported quoting Online Travel Agency (OTA).Bengaluru-Hyderabad fares fell 24% to ₹3,314. Similar declines were seen on Bengaluru-Pune (22%), Bengaluru-Chennai (22%), New Delhi-Ahmedabad (21%), and Mumbai-Chennai (21%) routes. Smaller drops were observed in New Delhi-Hyderabad (2%) and Mumbai-Ahmedabad (1%).Meanwhile, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson in a statement said that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed underwent a major check in June 2023, with the next due in December 2025. The right engine was overhauled in March, and the left was inspected in April. “Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” he said.Air India is inspecting its entire fleet of 33 Dreamliner aircraft, following a directive from the civil aviation regulator.So far, checks on 26 planes have been completed. As a result of these inspections, along with airspace closures and night-time restrictions, the airline has cancelled some flights. Wilson said that Air India will cut international widebody operations by 15% from June 20 through mid-July to ensure more backup aircraft are available.
