Delhi-Washington Air India flight cancelled over technical snag, grounded in Vienna

A Washington-bound Air India flight was grounded during its fueling stop in Vienna after a technical issue came to light during a routine maintenance check, the airline said on Thursday (Jul 3). Flight AI103, which took off from New Delhi at 12:45 am on Wednesday (Jul 2), was scheduled to depart for Washington the same day. However, the flight was cancelled due to a technical snag.

“Flight AI103 from Delhi to Washington, DC, on July 2, 2025, made a planned fuel stop in Vienna. During routine aircraft checks, an extended maintenance task was identified, which required rectification before the next flight and, thus, additional time for completion,” an airline spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

After experiencing the issue, the Vienna-Washington leg of the flight was cancelled as rectification of the issues was needed before the flight could take off. An Air India spokesperson said that passengers were disembarked. Those holding valid Schengen visas or eligible for visa-free entry were accommodated in hotels. The rest of the passengers were assisted based on immigration and security clearance procedures by the Austrian authorities.

The Air India flight AI104, from Washington to Delhi via Vienna, was also cancelled. “Passengers have been rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi or offered full refunds based on their preferences,” the airline said.

Air India expressed regret over the inconvenience caused and said it was acting in line with its voluntary enhanced pre-flight safety checks. “The carrier deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains committed to prioritising the safety of all passengers and crew,” the spokesperson said.

In another incident, another Air India plane travelling from Delhi to Vienna experienced a technical snag. The aircraft dropped nearly 900 feet mid-air shortly after takeoff. A spokesperson of the airline said on Tuesday (Jul 7) that an investigation is underway and both pilots have been grounded. The incident occurred on Jun 14, about 38 hours after the London-bound Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad, killing over 260 people.