The airline, which has been facing a myriad of issues since the fatal Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, said the move is to "ensure the reliability and integrity of Air India’s overall route network".
The leaders recalled their meeting last month in Brasília, where they agreed on a comprehensive framework to expand cooperation across key sectors, including trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health, and people-to-people ties. Thursday’s conversation built on those discussions, with both sides reiterating their resolve to elevate bilateral engagement to new heights.
The meeting, held in the presence of senior Russian officials including Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, comes ahead of Putin’s expected visit to India later this month for the annual bilateral summit.
Trump has signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing the country’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
The move comes in response to what the US says is India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claims undermines its national security and foreign policy.