headquarters on Tuesday for an annual regulatory audit, two people with direct knowledge said. Air India late on Monday ceased all its operations to the Middle East, Europe and the East Coast of North America until further notice due to Israel-Iran tensions. One of the sources said that was a key reason for cancelling the audit as the airline was occupied with tackling the crisis.

Ten officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were to visit Air India headquarters near New Delhi on Tuesday for an annual audit, just as the airline is facing intense scrutiny after a plane crash in Ahmedabad killed 271 people.

Air India and the DGCA did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.