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Mint
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Mint
Air India plane 787 Dreamliner's first crash clouds Boeing's Paris air show
Mumbai: The Air India plane disaster on Thursday in Ahmedabad is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed since the model's introduction in 2011. On 30 April, the American aircraft manufacturer highlighted the success of the Dreamliner series in a press release, noting that its 1,175 planes had carried 1 billion passengers in 14 years, a record that surpasses any other wide-body commercial aeroplane in history. 'Flying over 1 billion passengers in this relatively short time is a testament to how the airplane has delivered on its promises to transform air travel with operational versatility, efficiency and comfort," said Scott Stocker, Boeing 787 program vice-president and general manager. Airlines using the Dreamliner series have praised the planes for their significantly improved fuel efficiency. The 787 family is 25% more fuel-efficient than the aeroplanes it replaces, thanks in large part to new engines, the expanded use of lightweight composite materials, more efficient system applications, and modern aerodynamics, Boeing said in a statement dated 30 April. To be sure, Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes have experienced operational problems in the past. These planes faced significant battery issues in 2013, leading to a worldwide grounding of the fleet. These problems stemmed from lithium-ion batteries used in the aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU), which were prone to thermal runaway and fires. The issues ultimately resulted in the grounding of the Dreamliner fleet, with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigating the design and manufacturing of the batteries. Also read How the crash impacts Air India, insurers and Boeing Air India had also grounded its planes and subsequently made the necessary changes before flying them again. The aircraft has had no issues since then. However, Thursday's crash is the first crash reported in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner series, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. In April 2024, the FAA announced that it was investigating claims made by a Boeing engineer who alleged that parts of the 787 Dreamliner's fuselage were improperly fastened together. Worryingly, the engineer had told the aviation regulator that the fuselage could break apart mid-flight. Boeing rejected the claims by the former engineer. Aviation consultant John M. Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, told the Associated Press that while the initial images of Thursday's crash were poor, they appeared to show the aircraft with its nose up and not climbing, which is one of the factors investigators would examine. 'At this point, it's very, very, very early, we don't know a whole lot," Cox told AP. 'But the 787 has very extensive flight data monitoring--the parameters on the flight data recorder are in the thousands--so once we get that recorder, they'll be able to know pretty quickly what happened." Thursday's crash comes after Boeing last month agreed to pay $1.1 billion in a deal with the US Department of Justice to avoid prosecution over the two crashes that together killed 346 people. The two major crashes that resulted from faults in Boeing planes, specifically the 737 Max model, occurred in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. The Boeing 737 Max model was grounded for almost a year before being relaunched. For Boeing, the latest crash is bad news coming just a week ahead of the Paris Air Show, where it could have booked fresh orders. Its shares were trading nearly 6% lower in pre-market deals on Thursday. Read this Air India's Boeing Dreamliner crashes minutes after takeoff 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today," Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Tata Sons chairman, said in a prepared statement. Chandrasekaran, who is also the chair of Air India, added: 'At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted." "We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident involving Air India Flight 171 on its journey from Ahmedabad to London. This heart-wrenching incident has brought immense grief to countless families, and our thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones today," said Noel Tata, chair of Tata Trusts, the philanthropic entities that control the Tata conglomerate. In a statement reacting to the crash, Boeing said: 'We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information." "The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is in contact with the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) regarding Air India flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad (AMD) to London Gatwick (LGW), that was involved in an accident in India on Thursday, June 12," FAA said in a statement on Thursday. "When an international incident occurs, that government leads the investigation. In the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official U.S. representative and the FAA provides technical support. We stand ready to launch a team immediately in coordination with the NTSB". For now, there is no certainty whether India's civil aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will ground the rest of the Dreamliners aircraft. And read Will the Air India crash lead to the grounding of the Dreamliner series and disrupt travel? 'This is a very successful aircraft, this is probably the first major issue with the 787, it will not affect the company's prospects. The DGCA will not ground the rest of the fleet, if they do, it would be a thoughtless act," said Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a former airline instructor pilot. As of 14 April 2025, Air India's fleet comprises 198 aircraft. This includes 34 Dreamliners, comprising 27 Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s. Boeing has a robust order book for the Dreamliner, including 20 from Air India, the first of which is due by the end of this year.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
What Boeing said as Air India plane crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad
Boeing said it is aware of initial reports of the plane crash in Ahmedabad and working to gather more information even as the company's shares tumbled in pre-market trading. Boeing 787-8 Air India flight crashed into a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad with a population of more than 5 million, five minutes after taking off at 1:38 pm local time. The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing said in a brief statement: 'We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.' Aviation consultant John M. Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, told the AP from Los Angeles that while the first images of the crash were poor, it appeared the aircraft had its nose up and was not climbing, which is one of the things that investigators would look at. 'At this point, it's very, very, very early, we don't know a whole lot,' he said. 'But the 787 has very extensive flight data monitoring – the parameters on the flight data recorder are in the thousands – so once we get that recorder, they'll be able to know pretty quickly what happened.' The aircraft was introduced in 2009, and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the Flightradar24 website. The crash comes days before the opening of the Paris Air Show, a major aviation expo where Boeing and European rival Airbus will showcase their aircraft and battle for jet orders from airline customers. Boeing has been in recovery mode for more than six years after Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 Max 8, plunged into the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. Five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max 8, crashed after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing 157 passengers and crew members. Shares of Boeing Co tumbled as much as 9 per cent before trading opened in the US. The plane was bound for London Gatwick Airport and was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, Air India said.
