Air India crash raises new safety concerns for Boeing's Dreamliner
MUMBAI: The aviation industry faced renewed safety concerns following Thursday's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, marking the first fatal incident involving this aircraft model. Flight Al-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known as the country's aviation regulator DGCA, the Tata Group run Air India and aircraft manufacturer Boeing are yet to issue detailed statement on what led to the crash. Boeing said in a statement that they aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.
This tragedy strikes a particularly sensitive nerve for Boeing, coming on multiple safety incidents involving its aircraft over the last few years. The crash raises urgent questions about the safety of Boeing's widebody aircraft at a time when the aerospace giant is still addressing quality control issues across its product line.
Aviation authorities worldwide are expected to scrutinize the Dreamliner's safety protocols as the investigation into this unprecedented accident begins. 'DGCA and aviation regulators worldwide will have to take a strong call on Dreamliners to avoid future mishaps. This accident particularly raises eyebrows given a Boeing whistleblower had raised serious safety concerns last year,' a former head of DGCA told TNIE.
Boeing Co's shares plunged over 8% in premarket US trading on Thursday. It opened nearly 6% lower on U.S. exchanges.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India Express Kolkata-Hindon flight delayed due to snag in aircraft
An Air India Express flight from Uttar Pradesh's Hindon to Kolkata was delayed on Sunday after the aircraft developed a snag. 'Our Kolkata - Hindon flight operated, with a delay, due to a snag on the originally assigned aircraft,' a spokesperson for Air India Express said. "Guests were offered complimentary rescheduling or cancellation with a full refund. We regret the inconvenience," it added. The flight – IX 1511 – took from the Kolkata Airport at 2pm after a seven-hour delay. It is expected to land at Hindon airport at around 4.30pm. The incident comes days after a flight of Air India, the parent company, crashed in Ahmedabad, killing over 270 people. Air India's London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171) flight crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad's Meghaninagar on June 12, moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Among those killed were 241 out of 242 passengers and crew on board the aircraft.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ahmedabad plane crash eye-opener for Navi Mumbai airport: Activist
The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has brought back focus on the "illegal" meat shops near the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is likely to commence operations from August, according to an environment activist. These establishments continue to do business despite an advisory from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to stop it, he claimed. Two domestic carriers -- IndiGo and Aksa Air-- have already announced they will shift part of their operations to the greenfield airport in Navi Mumbai once it becomes functional. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Montego Bay: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo The Navi Mumbai Airport is being developed by a special purpose vehicle, NMIAL , which is a 74:26 joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) and City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra ( CIDCO ). NatConnect, an NGO which has been raising concern over the slaughter and open sale of meat at Ulwe, barely in three km radius from the Navi Mumbai International Airport runway, has again flagged the issue. Live Events It has requested the DGCA to take up this issue seriously with local authorities as the slaughter attracts big birds, such as kites, which can pose threats to the aircraft operations, NatConnect director B N Kumar said in a statement. An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers, including 12 crew members, crashed in the Meghaninangar area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from the international airport there on Thursday afternoon, killing 270 persons, including 241 on board the aircraft. While the investigation into the crash is still going on, a bird strike is also being speculated as one the probable causes of the accident. On an earlier complaint, Kumar said, the aviation safety regulator had said "the aerodrome operator has been advised to act against the slaughter that can attract birds". But there has been no action against the illegal slaughter of animals and the open sale of mutton and chicken, he alleged. Recently, the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has issued a NOTAM -Notice To Airmen - list pertaining to "lack of operational readiness" of Navi Mumbai International Airport, the statement said. "But, the issue pertaining to the illegal slaughter within the three km radius is missing from the NOTAM list," it claimed. The NOTAM list has mentioned the absence of landing and take-off routes and presence of 225 obstacles, including 86 buildings, 79 hilltops, 23 power transmission towers, 12 mobile towers and eight floodlight poles, it said. The Maharashtra government, which appointed the Aerodrome Environment Monitoring Committee (AEMC) under the chairmanship of CIDCO, has clearly stipulated in its order that slaughter within a 10-km radius is prohibited, the statement said. Kumar said when he took up the issue with the AAI, he was informed that the matter has been referred to the "authorities concerned" at the Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL). The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO), which administers Ulwe, has also not taken any action, he said. "We have drawn the attention of CIDCO's chief vigilance officer over such a grave lapse (10-km radius norm)," he added.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
The Paris Airshow is starting. The Boeing Air India crash hangs over it.
The 2025 Paris Airshow kicks off on June 16. Aviation enthusiasts can get to see jets up close. Investors and Wall Street analysts can hobnob with industry management. The focus of the Paris Airshow just shifted. The biennial junket opens Monday with a very different feel than investors expected. Typically, an air show is a time to collect billion-dollar orders, rub elbows with industry insiders, and show off next-generation technologies. This time, the tragic Boeing 787 Air India crash will tamp down typical excitement. Thursday local time, Air India flight 171 bound for the U.K. crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 on board. The plane was a 12-year-old Boeing 787, powered by GE Aerospace GEnx engines, that had accumulated 41,700 flight hours over 7,800 flights. Before Thursday, the twin-aisle 787 jet, introduced in 2011, had never been involved in a fatal crash. Indian officials are leading the investigation, assisted by Boeing, GE Aerospace, and U.S. transportation officials. Investors can expect updates about the crash in the coming days, which are likely to overshadow activities in Paris. Boeing is maintaining its presence in Paris, but CEO Kelly Ortberg canceled his plans to attend in order to focus on 'our customer and the investigation" of the Air India tragedy, according to a company Aerospace postponed its investor event, saying it would provide an update later in June. In more normal times, investors typically focus on orders at air shows, tallying up numbers for Airbus and Boeing like a sporting event. For the 2025 show, however, 'Orders are basically irrelevant…as the backlogs are so big," says Vertical Research Partners analyst Rob Stallard, adding that some order announcements will likely be deferred because of the Air India tragedy. Boeing has roughly 6,500 unfilled orders for new jets. Airbus has closer to 8,700. That's more than a decade of demand at current build rates. Increasing build rates is about the most important thing the airframers can do right now. 'We are years into a supply-constrained, not a demand-constrained, environment," says AeroDynamic Advisory managing director Richard Aboulafia, adding people will focus on the supply chain in Paris. Boeing recently increased its 737 MAX production to 38 per month, the limit set by the FAA following the January 2024 emergency-door-plug blowout of a 737 MAX 9 jet. A manufacturing-quality issue caused that incident. Getting to 38 a month, with additional scrutiny by the FAA, is a sign of improving manufacturing quality. The FAA also recently approved a 787 production rate increase to seven jets a month from five. Another sign of improving process control at Boeing. It's unlikely a manufacturing issue was to blame in a 12-year-old plane, but it's also too early to speculate on root causes. Eventually, Boeing wants to take 737 MAX production to north of 50 per month. Each rate increase will likely be spaced out by about six months and approved by the FAA. How Boeing plans to achieve higher production and what Boeing's free cash flow will look like at higher levels of MAX production are key questions Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wants answered. She's also looking for supply-chain updates from a host of aerospace suppliers, including Parker-Hannifin and Howmet Aerospace. The 2023 Paris Airshow was record-setting. Customers agreed to buy more than 1,100 planes, eclipsing the 2018 total at the U.K.'s Farnborough show of just over 1,000 jets. Farnborough, which is outside of London, and alternates with Paris as the host, followed that in 2024 with a relatively small 242 tally. Order tallies from shows haven't moved either Airbus or Boeing shares all that much lately. Investors can expect the same this year in Paris. With the backlog at current levels, supply chain and safety are what matters far more. Through Friday trading, Boeing stock was up roughly 10% over the past 12 months, similar to the S&P 500. The past year has been a roller coaster for the company. The ups and downs included the aftermath of the 737 MAX 9 incident, a new CEO, a new labor contract, trade tensions with China shutting off Boeing sales to the country briefly, and the Air India tragedy. Airbus and GE Aerospace shares were up roughly 20% and 50%, respectively. Write to Al Root at
