NEW DELHI: An Air India Dreamliner flight from Delhi to Washington DC was grounded in Vienna on July 2 after a maintenance issue was detected during a scheduled stopover, forcing the airline to cancel both onward and return journeys.
Flight AI103, a Boeing 787-8 flight, departed from Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1 am on Wednesday and had a planned fuel stop at Vienna at 6.35 am (local time). During enhanced pre-flight safety checks taking place in light of the Ahmedabad plane crash, a maintenance issue was detected resulting in cancellation of the trip from that point.
An Air India statement said, “Flight AI103 from Delhi to Washington, DC on 2 July 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. Due to this, the Vienna to Washington DC leg was cancelled, and passengers were disembarked.”
Passengers eligible for visa-free entry or those with valid Schengen visas were provided hotel accommodation in Vienna until the next available flight, it said. For those without entry permission, accommodation is being arranged, pending immigration and security clearances by Austrian authorities, the statement added.
“Consequently, flight AI104 from Washington, DC, to Delhi via Vienna was also cancelled, and the affected passengers have been rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi or offered full refunds based on their preferences,” the statement said.
The statement said that despite all efforts from its side, certain flights get delayed or cancelled due to extraneous factors such as the closure of certain airspaces, nighttime curfew at several airports in Europe and East Asia, air traffic congestion and unforeseen operational issues.
“We notify passengers ahead of time to reduce inconvenience in case of planned delays or cancellations, but sometimes, certain challenges lead to last-minute disruptions,” it added.