Air India has discontinued operations of its full-service carrier at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal starting June 15, Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials have announced. The company's low-cost carrier, Air India Express, will continue serving the routes from Manipur.
According to an AAI official, the move was “part of a long-standing, pre-planned strategic decision by the airline, and is in no way related to any recent incident.”
Another AAI official added that, “The move is part of a broader strategic realignment by the Tata Group, which owns the airline. Air India Express, the group's low-cost subsidiary, will continue its operations at Imphal, signalling a shift in service model but ensuring continued air connectivity.”
On June 12, an Air India plane from Ahmedabad crashed 40 seconds into its flight to London Gatwick Airport. All but one person from the 242 people on board were killed. The death toll is now at 270 people as the plane crashed into a medical hostel, killing students, service workers and bystanders.
Investigations are still underway to determine the cause of the Air India plane crash. Aviation and regulatory experts are considering factors such as engine failure or technical issues during takeoff.
In recent days, the airline has scarcely been out of the news since the tragic incident, with reports of technical snags on one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, a bomb threat that led to an emergency landing in Phuket and rerouting of flights after Iranian airspace closed due to regional tensions, among other headling-making occurrences.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)