Air India Cancels Singapore–Chennai Flight Due To Technical Snag Amid Rising Safety Concerns

Air India cancelled its Singapore to Chennai flight on Sunday after a technical snag grounded the Airbus A321 aircraft. The airline said the issue was identified before departure and required extended rectification time.

In a statement, Air India said flight AI349 was cancelled due to a necessary maintenance task.

“Arrangements are being made to fly passengers to Chennai at the earliest,” the airline added. It also confirmed that hotel accommodation, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling options were being offered based on passenger preferences.

Ground staff in Singapore are assisting affected passengers and attempting to minimise disruptions.

This incident adds to a series of recent Air India flight delays and technical faults.

Earlier on Friday, passengers were left stranded at London airport after a Delhi-bound flight was delayed by over 11 hours.

A day earlier, a Delhi–London flight (AI-2017) returned to the bay before take-off due to a suspected technical issue. Pilots halted the take-off run and followed standard safety protocols before arranging an alternative aircraft.

These incidents follow a damning audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which identified 51 safety lapses at Air India. Seven of these were classified as critical Level I breaches.

The airline was instructed to address them by 30 July, while the remaining 44 must be resolved by 23 August.

Among the lapses were outdated training manuals, incomplete pilot training, unqualified simulators, and issues with low-visibility operation approvals.

Recently, the DGCA grounded one Air India aircraft over an overdue emergency slide inspection.

The rising number of incidents has raised serious questions about Air India flight cancellation protocols and overall maintenance standards.

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