For the thousands of passengers stranded across international terminals on a humid Tuesday in June, the iconic red and white aircraft that once symbolised Indian ambition now stood as a grounded emblem of frustration. Cancelled flights. Unanswered questions. Long waits. Tired eyes. And a lingering question on everyone’s mind—what’s going on at Air India?

In the week since the tragic crash of flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London, which left over 270 dead including 29 on the ground, the national carrier has found itself facing one setback after another. From cancelled routes to technical snags and passenger fury, the turbulence seems far from over.

June 17 was meant to mark a return to normalcy, a day after Air India restarted its Ahmedabad-London service under a new flight code, AI-159, replacing the ill-fated AI-171 that crashed on June 12. But instead of a fresh start, chaos erupted once again as the flight was cancelled due to aircraft unavailability.

Additionally, the airline was forced to cancel at least six international flights—London-Amritsar, Delhi-Dubai, Delhi-Vienna, Delhi-Paris, Bengaluru-London, and Mumbai-San Francisco—due to what it described as “varied reasons” and “enhanced precautionary checks” across its fleet.

Separately, a San Francisco-Mumbai flight, AI-180, faced a mid-journey crisis. After landing for a technical halt in Kolkata, passengers were informed of a snag in the aircraft’s left engine. Initially told it would be resolved in “25 minutes,” they watched hours go by with no clear communication.

By 5:20 am, after multiple failed repair attempts and growing passenger anxiety, the decision was taken to terminate the journey. Dozens of weary travellers were shuffled through immigration, customs, and into hotel accommodations. Some broke down in tears, desperate to reach their final destination in Mumbai.

While airlines globally are no strangers to technical challenges and weather disruptions, the compounding nature of Air India’s troubles—especially after a deadly crash—has shaken public trust.

“It’s the media which are magnifying the incidents in its daily reporting. We have just started noticing the things. There is nothing unusual. In the last 15-20 years, major airlines have witnessed mishaps. Did those airlines perish? No. But yes, it’s a temporary setback,” Jitender Bhargava, former Executive Director of Air India, told Asianet News English.

He added, “Yesterday only, the Air India plane went to Gatwick, the lone survivor was onboard. If the management morale is demoralised then what the employees would do? The airlines will continue to flourish and continue to expand the network in the long run. From my experience, I can tell you there would be no impact on Brand Air India," he added.

But the picture on the ground tells a different story—long queues, irate customers, and social media posts painting a bleak picture of the airline’s immediate future.

Inside Air India, insiders say efforts to fix the cracks began well before the crash. Since the ’s acquisition in January 2022, focus areas have included fleet refurbishment, acquisition of new aircraft, and restructuring legacy systems inherited from the government era.

“Post takeover of Air India, it has always been a consistent endeavour to refurbish their aircraft. Apart from new acquisitions, one of the major focuses has been to create or add value to the existing fleet handed over by the Government of India,” aviation safety expert Atul Singh told Asianet News English.

“In that process, they are leaving no stone unturned to set the house in order — ensuring proper maintenance, efficient supply chain management for components, skilling of engineers, and enhanced surveillance. The rigorous standards required in aviation maintenance are being met by Air India," he added.

Singh also credited the airline’s leadership under Campbell Wilson—an aviation veteran from Southeast Asia—for the “very effective” implementation of operational changes.

Still, Singh cautioned that even a sincere airline overhaul won't work in isolation.

“But apart from all that, one point I’d like to highlight is that it’s not only Air India’s responsibility to set the house in order. Aviation operates within a broader agreement — one that includes not just the airlines, but also the flying public — to foster a safe environment through the adoption of safe practices and proper aircraft maintenance,” he said.

“And here lies a big question: the government, in parallel, must act as a very careful and vigilant moderator.”

Citing the role of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Singh added, “It is also the responsibility of the government, its stakeholders, and the agencies involved in surveillance and vigilance to ensure that operators are maintaining their aircraft as per standard procedures. That house, too, needs to be set in order.”

The Tata Group—known for everything from salt and software to luxury sedans and even iPhones—is fiercely protective of its legacy. But this ongoing saga is proving to be a litmus test not just of brand resilience, but of India’s broader aviation ecosystem.

In the middle of it all stands a passenger—a child clinging to their tired parent, a business traveller frantically refreshing their email, a student flying home after years abroad. Their patience is thinning, and their faith is being tested.

The question now is not just whether Air India can restore operations, but whether it can restore confidence. Because even in the skies, trust is the strongest lift.