New Delhi, June 17: In a series of cancellations, Air India on Tuesday announced the axing of Flight AI 143 from Delhi to Paris, after mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue “which is being presently addressed”.

Consequently, “flight AI 142 from Paris to Delhi on June 18, 2025, also stands cancelled”, the carrier said in a statement.

“In view of the flight coming under the restrictions on night operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport, the said flight has been cancelled. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and are making alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination at the earliest,” the statement read.

The carrier further stated that they are providing hotel accommodation and also offering full refunds on cancellations or complimentary rescheduling if opted for by the passengers.

Earlier in the day, Flight AI-159 — Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick was cancelled due to the unavailability of the aircraft, “resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual turnaround of aircraft, and not due to any technical snag as claimed”, said Air India.

The aircraft, which was scheduled to depart at 1.10 p.m., was grounded hours before take-off after routine pre-flight checks flagged the issue.

The abrupt cancellation caused chaos at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, with scores of international passengers stranded, many of them already reeling from anxiety sparked by last week’s tragedy.

This was the second cancellation on the Ahmedabad–London route in just four days. The previous flight on June 14 was also scrapped following the crash, which killed 241 people on board and many others on the ground, bringing the toll till now to 270.

Since then, Air India has retired the flight number AI-171, replacing it with AI-159 as a symbolic reset.

An Air India Flight from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata was also halted at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata early Tuesday morning after a technical snag was detected in one of its engines.

According to reports, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also summoned an urgent virtual meeting with Air India and Air India Express officials.

Gandhinagar, June 17: Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi confirmed that the DNA samples of 144 victims in the Air India plane crash has been successfully matched as of 12 pm on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Sanghavi said, “Air India crash update: As of 12 pm, 144 DNA samples have been matched.”

The testing was being done by teams from the FSL and National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU).

Earlier on Monday, Sanghavi confirmed that DNA samples of 125 victims in the Air India plane crash had been successfully matched, and families of 124 deceased had been contacted. The mortal remains of 83 victims were handed over to their families.

The minister visited the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar, where DNA testing of the deceased was being conducted.

Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said on Tuesday that the number of BJ Medical College students who died because of the Air India crash remains at four.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Rakesh Joshi said,”…The death toll of BJ Medical College students stands at 4. It has not gone up.”

He also said that Vishwas, the only survivor from the crash, is in stable condition and slowly improving.

“Vishwas’s (the lone survivor of the flight crash) condition is stable and improving gradually,” Joshi said.

Kumar, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11 at the left window seat in the flight’s economy class section that’s positioned right behind an emergency exit.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

The last rites of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were performed with full state honours on Monday in Rajkot.

The former CM, who lost his life in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, was cremated by his son Rushabh Rupani.

Top political leaders attended the funeral ceremony, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who paid their final respects to the departed leader.

Kolkata, June 17: An Air India Flight from San Francisco to Mumbai via Kolkata was halted at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata early Tuesday morning after a technical snag was detected in one of its engines.

The flight (AI-180) landed at Kolkata Airport at around 12.45 a.m. It was supposed to take off for Mumbai at 2 a.m. and land at Mumbai airport at 4.50 a.m.

However, the flight could not take off from Kolkata Airport in time because of technical snags detected in one of its engines. Finally, at around 5.20 a.m., the captain of the flight requested the passengers to disembark from the flight.

The captain also informed the passengers that the decision was being taken in the interest of flight safety.

After the passenger disembarked, the plane was taken to the airport tarmac. Thereafter, the members of the ground staff and the technical staff started checking the technical difficulties arising in one of the engines of the plane.

All the passengers are reportedly safe. As per the last report available, AI-180 is still at Kolkata Airport undergoing technical checks. An alternative flight is reportedly being arranged for the passengers travelling by AI-180.

To recall, on June 12, an Air India flight crashed en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport. It crashed into a hostel of doctors, moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, killing all but one passenger.

Again this week, Air India Express flight IX 1511 was detected with a fault before departing from Hindon Airport in Uttar Pradesh for Kolkata. The error was discovered when the pilot was preparing to take off from the runway.

The plane was stuck on the runway for about an hour due to the turbulence. However, the plane later departed for its destination.

Now, on early Tuesday morning, AI-180 could not take off from Kolkata Airport following technical snags in one of its engines.