Tragedy Averted as Air India Cancels Ahmedabad–London Flight over Fresh Technical Glitch

Air India has cancelled yet another flight from Ahmedabad to London, just days after the catastrophic crash of Flight AI171 that claimed 241 lives. The latest cancellation involved Flight AI159, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was scheduled to depart Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:10pm local time on Tuesday and arrive at London Gatwick by 6:25pm.

According to local media reports, a technical issue was detected during routine checks before takeoff. The aircraft had arrived earlier from New Delhi, and the fault was discovered before passengers boarded for the onward journey to the UK. The sudden cancellation left dozens of travelers stranded at the Ahmedabad airport.

Flight AI159 is the newly renumbered service on the Ahmedabad–London route, which was formerly operated under Flight AI171. That flight crashed into a residential neighborhood last Thursday, leaving just one survivor—40-year-old British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—among the 242 people on board. The victims included 53 British nationals, 159 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.

In response to the crash, aviation authorities have ordered comprehensive inspections of Air India’s fleet of Dreamliners. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but early reports point to possible mechanical failure.

Flight data indicates that another AI159 flight on the same route landed in London yesterday after a delay of about three hours. At least one passenger on that flight had originally been booked on the ill-fated AI171 but had changed plans at the last minute.