Air India cancelled its Zurich-Delhi flight AI152 on August 17 due to a technical issue, leaving passengers stranded. The Tata Group-owned airline attributed the cancellation to a last-minute engine problem and Zurich’s night curfew, which prevented rescheduling. This marks the second flight cancellation by Air India in two days, despite recent claims of thorough fleet inspections.

A passenger took to X, stating, “Air India flight from Zurich to Delhi cancelled: aborted moments before takeoff, technical issue in engine cited.” The airline, operating Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft for European routes, arranged alternative flights, hotel accommodations, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling for affected passengers.

The cancellation follows another incident on Sunday, when a Delhi-bound Air India flight from Kochi, carrying Congress leader Hibi Eden, aborted takeoff due to a technical glitch. Earlier, a Milan-Delhi flight was also grounded during pushback for similar reasons.

These disruptions come despite Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s assurances that comprehensive checks on the Boeing 787 fleet revealed “no issues.” Wilson had emphasized these inspections in response to a fatal crash of an Air India flight to London from Ahmedabad.

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Since its privatization in January 2022, Air India has faced scrutiny for last-minute delays and cancellations linked to technical and maintenance issues, raising concerns about the reliability of its fleet.

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