India’s civil aviation watchdog has confirmed that it found no major safety issues in Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet following a detailed review prompted by the recent crash of flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said all maintenance systems and safety protocols related to the wide-body aircraft were in compliance with regulatory norms. The assessment followed a high-level review meeting with senior executives of Air India and Air India Express—carriers that jointly operate more than 1,000 flights daily across domestic and international routes.

The review focused on identifying gaps in operations, maintenance, and passenger service protocols, especially after the June 12 tragedy that claimed over 270 lives. During the meeting, DGCA officials addressed seven operational areas with the airline’s leadership, including issues like flight delays linked to maintenance, airspace restrictions, and internal coordination.

DGCA chief officials also met Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and held a protocol meeting with the airline’s senior leadership. The regulator urged the Tata-owned airline to enhance aircraft maintenance procedures, reduce departure delays, and improve the management of passenger communications, especially during disruptions.

A recurring concern flagged during the meeting was the need for better crisis handling and real-time information sharing with passengers. The DGCA reminded the airline of its obligations under Civil Aviation Requirements regarding timely communication and facilitation for affected flyers.

Despite the assurance of safety compliance, Air India cancelled seven international flights on Tuesday, citing technical glitches and aircraft shortages. Six of the flights were scheduled to be operated using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners — the same aircraft type involved in the fatal crash. Cancelled routes included:

• AI915 (Delhi–Dubai, B788)

• AI153 (Delhi–Vienna, B788)

• AI143 (Delhi–Paris, B788)

• AI159 (Ahmedabad–London, B788)

• AI170 (London–Amritsar, B788)

• AI133 (Bengaluru–London, B788)

• AI179 (Mumbai–San Francisco, B777)

Air India clarified that the Delhi-Paris flight was pulled due to a technical snag found during pre-flight checks, while the Ahmedabad-London route faced an aircraft availability issue.

Since the June 12 incident, Air India has intensified its inspection protocols for Dreamliner aircraft, which has contributed to the uptick in cancellations. DGCA closely monitored the airline’s operations from June 12 to 17, particularly Dreamliner flights.

On June 12, 90 flights were scheduled, including 50 B787s—five of which were cancelled. The next day, operations fell to 80 flights, but cancellations rose sharply to 22, with 11 Dreamliners affected. On June 14, 86 flights ran with 12 cancellations (12 involving B787s). On June 15, only 76 flights took off, while 16 were cancelled, including 14 Dreamliners.

June 16 saw 75 flights with 11 cancellations—all from the B787 fleet. By 6 PM on June 17, just 55 flights had operated, with 16 cancellations, including 13 Dreamliners.