Dreamliner 787 had 'good track record' before India crash
Flight AI 171 crashed less than a minute after take-off, plunging into a residential area near the airport, located in Gujarat state. 242 people, including 12 crew, were on board.
This is the first major crash involving the 'state of the art' Dreamliner since the model became operational in 2011.
However, the model was grounded briefly in 2013 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after several airplanes suffered electrical fires caused by its lithium ion batteries.
A 2014 report blamed Boeing engineers for failing to test for 'worst-case' battery failures.
Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News: "There shouldn't have been a problem, in taking off, especially not with a Dreamliner. It's got a pretty good track record."
More than 1,100 Dreamliners are currently in use, flying from 520 airports across the world.
British Airways currently has 41 Dreamliners in its fleet, with Virgin Atlantic (17) and TUI (13) also operating the model.
Air India has confirmed that 53 UK nationals were on board Flight AI 171 when it crashed slightly before 2PM in Gujarat.
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