Air India, already facing intense scrutiny following the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, has suspended its Pune–Singapore direct flight service until at least July 15.
In a statement, Air India said it was part of its overall reduction in narrow-body operations by less than 5%. "This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on three routes and a reduction in frequency on 19 routes," the airline said. "The changes are effective until at least July 15. These reductions aim to strengthen Air India's network-wide operational stability and minimise last-minute inconvenience to passengers," it added.
The Pune–Singapore direct flight was launched by the erstwhile Vistara in December 2022. The flight, now operating as AI-2111, ran four days a week using an Airbus A321 aircraft.
Meanwhile, netizens have called this decision a "huge blow to international connectivity."
"The direct @airindia flight between #Pune & #Singapore as of now seems to be discontinued after 1st July. This will be a huge blow to international air connectivity from Pune, which is already very limited. Request @mohol_murlidhar to intervene on behalf of our city to restore this important connection," said one X (formerly Twitter) user.
"Better to stop the flight temporarily rather than compromise on safety, which by now is evident from the various reports and incidents following the Ahmedabad crash," commented another user.
"It's better to go to Mumbai and fly Singapore Airlines rather than fly on a below-average and risky airline. The government has given a very long rope to @airindia to correct things, but just because it is owned by the Tatas, we Indians are foolishly and blindly trusting this absolutely horrible airline," wrote a third user.
