Crashed Air India plane's engine was replaced 3 months ago, now central to probe
The crash of Air India flight AI 171 on June 12, just minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad, has drawn investigators' attention to the aircraft's right-side engine. The engine had been overhauled and reinstalled only three months ago, in March 2025.The nearly 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner last underwent a detailed maintenance check in June 2023, with the next scheduled for December 2025, Business Today quoted sources as saying.advertisementThe tragic crash killed nearly 270 people, including 241 passengers. A British national is the sole survivor. It was India's deadliest aviation disaster in over a decade. The plane slammed into a medical hostel building in Meghani Nagar.
The accident is expected to trigger one of the largest insurance claims in Indian aviation history, with early estimates pegging it at around Rs 3,000 crore. Notably, Air India had raised the insurance cover on the aircraft from Rs 750 crore to Rs 850 crore just two months before the crash.Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered a one-time safety check of all Dreamliner aircraft in Air India's fleet. So far, inspections have been completed on nine of the airline's 33 Boeing 787s, with checks on the remaining aircraft ongoing.advertisement"Air India is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA. These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations. Air India has completed such checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft and is on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 within the timeline provided by the regulator," the airline said.Air India has warned that these inspections may cause operational delays, particularly on long-haul routes facing night curfews.Furthermore, the airline has announced an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each deceased victim's family and for the survivor, in addition to the Rs 1 crore compensation declared earlier by parent company Tata Sons.Tune InMust Watch
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