Air India slashes international fares after crash

In the wake of the devastating crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft in Ahmedabad, Air India has sharply reduced ticket prices on several international routes — a move widely seen as an attempt to stem a growing loss of passenger confidence.

A Business Today TV investigation reveals that fares on multiple Boeing 787-operated routes have seen dramatic markdowns compared to rival airlines.

An off-the-cuff look at MakeMyTrip.Com shows that a ticket from Delhi to Paris on Air India (AI 143) is currently priced under ₹31,000 — less than half the ₹64,000 fare offered by Air France on the same route.

Similarly, Delhi to Amsterdam on AI 155, also a Boeing 787 flight, is available for ₹26,200, compared to over ₹66,000 on KLM.

East-bound routes reflect the same trend - a Delhi–Hong Kong ticket on Air India costs under ₹13,000, while Cathay Pacific is charging nearly three times as much. Even a flight to Tokyo on the same aircraft type is listed at ₹37,500, while Japan Airlines’ fare for the same journey is close to ₹52,000.

The fare cuts are concentrated on Boeing 787 routes — the same aircraft model involved in the Ahmedabad crash — while other aircraft types show smaller price differences.

The Delhi–London trip on AI 111 (an Airbus 350 aircraft) is slightly more expensive than the corresponding British Airways ticket.

But on the Delhi–New York route, Air India is 25% cheaper than American Airlines, and its Delhi–Chicago route (operated by a Boeing 777) is nearly 30% lower.

These aggressive price drops come at a time when the airline is already under scrutiny. The crash has not only led to tragic loss of lives and equipment, but also threatened to derail Air India’s goal of breaking even by the end of the financial year.

The airline has since announced it will reduce its international services using wide-body aircraft — Boeing 787s, Boeing 777s, and Airbus A350s — by 15%, effective immediately and lasting at least until mid-July. Air India currently operates around 70 international flights daily with its wide-body fleet.

Industry experts say the double blow of reputational damage and declining demand may weigh heavily on Air India’s turnaround strategy. While the fare cuts might attract price-sensitive travellers in the short term, the bigger question remains: can the airline restore trust and stay on course financially?