Air India resumes flight operations to US after FAA approval

New Delhi, January 20

Air India has resumed B777 flight operations after approval from the US authority, officials in the airlines confirmed.

The officials said that Boeing had cleared Air India to operate in the US on B777 and accordingly the first flight had left for JFK on Thursday morning.

“Other flights leaving in the day are to Chicago and SFO. Efforts are being made to make arrangements to further carry stranded passengers, as matters relating to B777 flying into the US have been sorted out,” a senior airline official said.

The decision by Air India came after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave its approval for aircraft including most of the Boeing Co. and Airbus SE models, the officials said, adding that the approval also included Boeing 777, which was left off the list on Sunday.

Several foreign carriers had cancelled flights to the US on the 777 after Boeing issued a warning to its operators, they said.

Earlier, Air India had cancelled 14 flights on India-US routes from Wednesday onwards due to deployment of 5G internet in North America, which could interfere with the aircraft’s navigation systems.

A total of three carriers – American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Air India – currently operate direct flights between India and the US.