The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that its recent surveillance of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet revealed no major safety concerns, even as investigations continue into a fatal crash involving one of the airline's jets that killed at least 271 people.
In a statement, the DGCA confirmed that both the aircraft and their associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with current aviation safety standards. The regulator conducted a comprehensive review, including analysis of operational data and inspections, with a specific focus on Air India’s wide-body operations, particularly its fleet of Boeing 787s.
As part of the inspection process, the DGCA ordered Air India to conduct an “enhanced safety inspection” of its Boeing 787 aircraft. Of the airline’s 33 Dreamliners, 24 have completed the inspection so far.
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In a high-level meeting with Air India’s senior leadership, the DGCA expressed concern over recent maintenance-related issues reported by the airline. It advised the Tata Group-owned carrier to improve internal coordination across its engineering, flight operations, and ground handling divisions. The regulator also emphasised the need for better availability of spare parts to minimize delays and disruptions for passengers.
The DGCA noted that Air India has cancelled 66 scheduled flights operated by Boeing 787 aircraft between June 12 and June 17, likely in response to the ongoing inspections and maintenance challenges. These developments follow the tragic crash of a London-bound Air India flight, which went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. The crash killed all but one of the passengers onboard and claimed the lives of around 30 people on the ground. Authorities are continuing DNA identification processes before releasing the victims’ bodies to their families.
Also Read: Ahmedabad plane crash: Probe panel to submit report in 3 months
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