DGCA orders 'enhanced' safety inspection of Air India's B787 fleet

Business Standard

17 hours ago

A day after the deadly crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad that claimed 241 lives on board and at least 24 on the ground, India's aviation regulator DGCA on Friday ordered an immediate 'enhanced safety inspection' of the airline's entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet.
Moreover, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, collectively known as the black box, were recovered on Friday afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site the same day, chaired a high-level review meeting, and met the injured. Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson also visited the crash site.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recovered the black box within 28 hours of the crash from the accident site in Ahmedabad, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated on X. "This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,' he added.
On Thursday afternoon, Air India's AI171 flight -- bound for Gatwick -- plunged into a residential neighborhood of Ahmedabad shortly after taking off from the city's airport, killing 241 out of 242 people on board and causing widespread devastation on the ground. The flight was being operated on a Boeing 787-8 aircraft powered by General Electric's GEnx engines.
In a directive issued Friday, the DGCA ordered Air India to carry out a fresh round of intensive checks across its entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet with GEnx engines. These inspections are to begin from Sunday onwards.
The directive called for a series of specific checks before each flight's departure from India, including inspection of fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, and electronic engine control (EEC) units. The fuel parameter system ensures correct fuel flow to the engines and monitors discrepancies, while the cabin air compressor is responsible for cabin pressurisation and ventilation. Electronic Engine Control (EEC) system tests are required to verify engine health and response.
The directive also mandated operational testing of the engine's fuel-driven actuator and oil systems, both of which are essential for regulating engine components and ensuring proper lubrication and cooling.
Air India operates a fleet of 34 Boeing 787 aircraft (also called Dreamliner), including both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants, one of which was involved in the crash, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline has placed firm orders for 20 more Dreamliners, with options for an additional 24. Overall, Air India's total fleet stands at 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years. Globally, there are 1,148 Boeing 787s currently in service, with an average age of 7.5 years, Cirium stated.
The DGCA on Friday also directed that the hydraulic system -- which powers critical functions such as the landing gear, braking system, and flight control surfaces like flaps and rudders -- be thoroughly checked to ensure it is fully operational. Additionally, Air India must conduct a detailed review of take-off performance data to detect any anomalies in engine output, aircraft weight calculations, or environmental factors that could compromise safe departure.
The DGCA also ordered that flight control inspections be included in all transit checks -- routine inspections conducted between an aircraft's arrival and its next departure -- to ensure no issues are overlooked during quick turnarounds at airports.
Power assurance checks, which confirm that engines are delivering adequate thrust, must be completed within two weeks. Additionally, Air India has been asked to address and resolve all repetitive technical snags observed over the past 15 days.
All inspection reports will be submitted to the DGCA for review, and regional offices of the regulator have been tasked with ensuring compliance.
As technical scrutiny intensified, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met the injured. He also met the family of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was among the deceased.
'We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti,' the Prime Minister wrote on X.
Modi also met the injured, including the sole survivor of the crash. 'Met those injured in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, including the lone survivor and assured them that we are with them and their families in this tough time. The entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery,' he wrote.
He chaired a review meeting at Ahmedabad airport with top aviation officials and emergency response authorities to assess the situation and ensure coordinated relief efforts. The meeting was attended by senior DGCA and AAIB personnel, representatives from Air India, and state government officials.
The Prime Minister paid a personal tribute to Vijay Rupani, recalling decades of working together. 'It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I've known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times. Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the Party's ideology,' he wrote.
The AAIB, now in possession of the black box, will begin detailed analysis of the data and cockpit recordings to determine the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
Cirium said the Boeing 787-8 aircraft involved in the Air India tragedy first flew on December 14, 2013, and was delivered to the airline on January 28, 2014. While noting that the aircraft had done 700 flight cycles in the past year, Cirium said it was an average for an aircraft of its type and age.
Japan has also moved to tighten oversight of Boeing 787 operations in the wake of the Air India tragedy. On Friday, the country's transport ministry announced that it had instructed Japanese carriers to inspect their Boeing 787 aircraft. The directive, issued a day earlier, applies to All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and its budget arm Zipair Tokyo.While the inspections will focus on both engine systems and the aircraft's structural integrity, the ministry clarified that it is not grounding the fleet and flights will continue as scheduled.