DGCA Orders Safety Drill for Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 Fleet
PM Narendra Modi at the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad on Friday! (Image X.com)
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By KUMAR VIKRAM
NEW DELHI, June 13, 2025 – The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety inspections for Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. The move has come a day after the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash in which all except one died in a Thursday afternoon mishap.
Air India B787-800 plane heading for London crashed into a residential area soon after takeoff. The ill-fated AI-171 flight of Air India was operating between Ahmedabad and Gatwick.
As a precautionary measure, the DGCA has directed Air India to implement additional maintenance checks on all Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines. The inspections are to be carried out immediately in coordination with regional DGCA offices, said a circular issued by the civil aviation watchdog.
According to the order, a comprehensive one-time inspection must be conducted before the departure of any such flight from India starting June 15, 2025. The mandated checks include:
- Inspection of Fuel Parameter Monitoring systems and associated checks.
- Examination of the Cabin air compressor and its systems.
- Electronic Engine Control System Test.
- Operational Test of the Engine Fuel Driven Actuator and oil system.
- Serviceability check of the hydraulic system.
- Review of take-off parameters.
Additionally, ‘Flight Control Inspection’ will be introduced during transit inspections until further notice. The DGCA has also mandated that power assurance checks be conducted within two weeks.
Furthermore, the regulator has instructed Air India to undertake cause-based maintenance action, focusing on any repetitive snags reported over the past 15 days on the B787-8/9 fleet. It may be noted that flightradar24, an X handle that reviews flight operations, had noted that the ill-fated Air India flight had run the full course of the runway before the takeoff.
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The DGCA’s proactive safety directive aims to ensure the continued airworthiness of Air India’s Dreamliner fleet while addressing potential systemic issues highlighted by the recent accident.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the Oval office that the “engine lost strength” in the “terrible accident”. Trump termed the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash worst in the aviation history.
It may also be noted that Boeing Dreamliner wide-bodied planes have come under scrutiny globally for technical issues. The Boeing planes claim to be fuel efficient. Lately, a number of Air India flights have come under scrutiny for cabin AC not working. Reports said that the two black boxes of the ill-fated Air India plane have been found, which may give clues to causes of the mishap.
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