<h1>Airline cancels long-haul flight during pushback citing maintenance and crew limits; passengers seek refunds, care under EC 261/2004</h1> A carrier cancelled a Milan-Delhi flight after a last-minute maintenance issue identified during pushback and cited crew duty-time limitations; the carrier provided hotel accommodation, full refunds or complimentary rescheduling and is arranging alternative travel. The incident follows recent last-minute cancellations and technical events involving the carrier's long-haul fleet, despite the carrier's statements about completed inspections. Legal issues potentially implicated include passenger rights to refunds and care under applicable aviation and consumer protection rules, regulatory safety oversight concerning continued aircraft airworthiness, and potential scrutiny of the carrier's maintenance and operational compliance.