Furious passengers were stranded after Air India cancelled their flight at the last minute - with fears running high due to the recent crash.

Footage shows angry travellers seated on the floor of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi protesting against the sudden cancellation.

Local media reported that flight AI308, bound for Melbourne, was called off without prior notice. It had been scheduled to depart at 1:15 am on June 17.

One passenger said: 'There was no prior information. We found out at the boarding gate that the flight was cancelled. No one is answering our questions. We are just told to wait.'

The disruption comes just days after the flag carrier's Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Gujarat, killing all but one person onboard.

Air India reportedly sent messages to affected passengers.

The notification reads: 'We would like to inform you that there has been a change in itinerary for the PNR 9I6SOS. We apologise for the inconvenience. Please use the button below to view your updated itinerary or reschedule your flight. In case you have booked through an agent, please contact them directly for more information. Our virtual agent is here round the clock to answer your queries.'

The airline also cancelled multiple flights on Wednesday, including a service from Mumbai to Lucknow, citing 'operational reasons'.

On the same day, a flight bound for Mumbai from San Francisco was delayed, and passengers were asked to disembark during an interim stop in Kolkata due to an engine malfunction.

The Boeing 777-200LR, operating as flight AI180, arrived in Kolkata at 12:45 am as scheduled, but upon landing, the crew detected an issue with the left engine.

Local media reported that seven international flights were also cancelled on Tuesday, including services to London, Paris, Vienna, and Dubai.

The incident came just days after the deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner burst into flames approximately 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport en route to London Gatwick.

The jet smashed into the doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College, sending debris, smoke and fire hundreds of feet into the air, and turning the whole area into what looked like a war zone.

Authorities have confirmed the death toll has risen to 270. An investigation into the cause of the tragedy is ongoing.