Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner Crash: Boeing's Safety Record Under Scrutiny, ET Infra
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A long trail of Dreamliner concerns
Boeing's safety record back in spotlight
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Impact on Air India and Tata Group
Was the plane properly configured for takeoff?
Was there a loss of thrust or a mechanical failure?
Did external factors like extreme heat or a bird strike play a role? Boeing, for its part, may soon have to explain more than just what happened in the sky over Ahmedabad.
By ,
ETInfra
Boeing's troubled safety record came under renewed fire on Thursday after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 2421 people onboard with just one survivor who escaped miraculously. The crash — the first-ever fatal incident involving a Dreamliner — reignites global scrutiny of the aerospace giant's manufacturing practices after years of mounting safety concerns.While the exact cause of the crash may take months or even years to determine, the timing and aircraft involved have cast an immediate shadow over Boeing's attempts to stabilise its image and operations.The Dreamliner, once hailed as Boeing's next-gen widebody jet, entered service in 2011 and had a spotless fatality record until now. Over 1,100 are in service, including three dozen with Air India. But the programme has been dogged by production issues. The crashed aircraft — built in 2013 and delivered to Air India in early 2014 — had logged over 41,000 flight hours and nearly 8,000 takeoffs and landings, according to aviation data firm Cirium.However, its production history is riddled with problems. Between 2021 and 2022, deliveries of the 787 were halted for over a year after US regulators flagged issues including improperly filled gaps in the fuselage and faulty titanium components. Boeing insisted these posed no immediate safety risk.Then in 2023, whistleblower and Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour alleged that shortcuts taken in assembling Dreamliner fuselages could result in premature structural fatigue. Boeing strongly disputed the claim, citing extensive testing, including stress tests.Despite those assurances, multiple whistleblowers have flagged persistent quality concerns at the South Carolina plant. One, late John Barnett, a former quality manager, had accused Boeing of cutting corners in wiring and cleanliness protocols.Ortberg had only recently called 2025 the 'turnaround year,' citing better-than-expected earnings and progress on ramping up Dreamliner production.The crash comes as Boeing continues to reel from the fallout of two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Just last month, Boeing agreed to a deal with the US Justice Department to avoid criminal prosecution over those incidents.Since the accident, Boeing's shares have fallen 4.79 per cent in intraday trading on Friday.The crash is a major blow to Air India and its parent, the Tata Group, which reacquired the airline from the Indian government in 2022. Tata has since merged Air India with smaller carriers like Vistara and AirAsia India, seeking to modernise operations and expand internationally.Tata Group companies, including Tata Motors and Tata Consultancy Services, saw their shares collectively decline by nearly 3 per cent after the crash. Rival airline IndiGo, which with Air India forms a virtual duopoly in Indian skies, also saw stock declines.As crash investigators from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) begin combing through debris, flight data, and crew records, critical questions remain unanswered:
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