Latest news with #VT-ANB
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Crashed Air India plane's comprehensive check was due in December; right-side engine overhauled in March: Officials
New Delhi: Air India 's ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12 underwent comprehensive maintenance checks in June 2023 and was due for the next scheduled comprehensive checks in December this year, according to airline officials. The plane enroute to London Gatwick crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. Apart from 241 people onboard the plane, many others on the ground also died. Officials said on Saturday that the aircraft VT-ANB underwent C checks or comprehensive checks in June 2023 and the next such scheduled checks were to happen in December this year. The C checks were done by AIESL (AI Engineering Services Ltd). The right side engine of the nearly 12-year-old aircraft was overhauled and installed in March 2025, while an inspection of the left side engine was done as per the engine manufacturer's protocol in April 2025, the officials said. Live Events The aircraft was powered by GEnx engines, manufactured by GE Aerospace . The officials also claimed that there were no issues with the engines or the aircraft. There was no official statement from Air India. Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday ordered enhanced safety checks of Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 planes. Air India, on Saturday, said the one-time safety checks of the aircraft are on track and the checks have been completed for nine planes. The airline has 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s in its fleet. On Friday, GE Aerospace said it supports the action being taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for enhanced safety inspections of the Air India 787-8/9 fleet. "We continue to work closely with the appropriate regulatory and investigative agencies, and we are committed to providing all technical support necessary to understand the cause of this accident," a GE Aerospace spokesperson had said in a statement. Meanwhile, former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Friday said after three-and-a-half years of the takeover of Air India by the Tatas, the management needs to fine-tune various aspects of running a world-class airline, including maintenance. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash and a high-level multi-disciplinary committee has also been set up to examine the causes for the accident. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Mint
7 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Crashed AI planes comprehensive check was due in Dec; right-side engine overhauled in Mar:Officials
New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) Air India's ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12 underwent comprehensive maintenance checks in June 2023 and was due for the next scheduled comprehensive checks in December this year, according to airline officials. The plane enroute to London Gatwick crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. Apart from 241 people onboard the plane, many others on the ground also died. Officials said on Saturday that the aircraft VT-ANB underwent C checks or comprehensive checks in June 2023 and the next such scheduled checks were to happen in December this year. The C checks were done by AIESL (AI Engineering Services Ltd). The right side engine of the nearly 12-year-old aircraft was overhauled and installed in March 2025, while an inspection of the left side engine was done as per the engine manufacturer's protocol in April 2025, the officials said. The aircraft was powered by GEnx engines, manufactured by GE Aerospace. The officials also claimed that there were no issues with the engines or the aircraft. There was no official statement from Air India. Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday ordered enhanced safety checks of Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 planes. Air India, on Saturday, said the one-time safety checks of the aircraft are on track and the checks have been completed for nine planes. The airline has 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s in its fleet. On Friday, GE Aerospace said it supports the action being taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for enhanced safety inspections of the Air India 787-8/9 fleet. "We continue to work closely with the appropriate regulatory and investigative agencies, and we are committed to providing all technical support necessary to understand the cause of this accident," a GE Aerospace spokesperson had said in a statement. Meanwhile, former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Friday said after three-and-a-half years of the takeover of Air India by the Tatas, the management needs to fine-tune various aspects of running a world-class airline, including maintenance. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash and a high-level multi-disciplinary committee has also been set up to examine the causes for the accident.
Skift
a day ago
- Business
- Skift
Inside Air India's First 24 Hours of Crisis Response
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson moved fast after one of the biggest aviation tragedies in history. But the next days and weeks will define the airline. Air India Liveblog Ongoing coverage of the crash of Air India flight 171 from Skift's editorial team in India, Europe, and the United States. Ongoing coverage of the crash of Air India flight 171 from Skift's editorial team in India, Europe, and the United States. Get the Latest Updates Skift's coverage of the Air India crash is offered free to all readers. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson boarded AI143 on Thursday for the 1 PM flight from Delhi to Charles de Gaulle airport to participate in the upcoming Paris Air Show. He may have been planning to share good news: Reuters had reported earlier this month that Air India was in discussions for a major order of 200 narrowbody aircraft. But just 15 minutes after his departure, at 1:39 pm, another Air India flight, AI 171, took off from Ahmedabad. It crashed within minutes. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft had 230 passengers and 12 crew on board, and only one survivor. Registered as VT-ANB, it had rotated all across the network in recent weeks, with flights to Paris, Tokyo, Melbourne, Milan, and Frankfurt. Campbell's plane was not equipped with internet connectivity, so word must have been sent to Wilson via the cockpit. The plane turned around to head back to Delhi. We don't know who made that extraordinary call: Wilson or someone else at Air India. But the plane was back on the ground in Delhi at 4 PM local time. Emergency Response The plane that crashed was in the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had clocked over 8,200 flying hours and was also a line training captain for the airline. His co-pilot had over 1,100 flight hours. Seconds after take off, a mayday call was made to the ATC, after which the aircraft crashed into the nearby medical college hostel. By the time Wilson landed in Delhi, the airline had confirmed the incident and set up a hotline. The airline's website and social media handles had turned from red to gray and black, to indicate mourning. Wilson rushed to the Emergency Command Centre at the Air India headquarters in Gurugram, where he took stock of the situation and recorded a 2.5 minute video that was released at 7:15pm local time. The message: It was not the time for speculation but rather accurate information. And the airline will cooperate in all possible ways with those affected, and the investigation. By the evening, Campbell was headed to Ahmedabad where the airline is cooperating with the investigation, and providing technical assistance. On Friday morning, he visited the site of the crash. Over 30 technical staff from Air India are currently in Ahmedabad to provide assistance to the recovery and investigation process. The investigation will be led by the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Indian authority for aviation incidents. The U.S. National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the UK have deployed their teams to join the investigation. Apart from recovery, Air India is also leading the caregiving at Ahmedabad, along with the Tata Group, whose Chairman (also Air India's Chairman), N Chandrasekharan, announced immediate financial assistance of over $116,000 on behalf of the Tata Sons for the families of everyone who lost their life in the crash. After 28 hours, it was confirmed that the vital Digital Voice and Data Recorder (DVDR) had been retrieved, which would aid the investigation into the accident. The DVDR is a device that combines both Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) capabilities into a single unit, and would hold a clue as to what went down in the final moments before the flight. What's Next If there was the expectation of a celebratory few days at the Paris Air Show, everything now is about crisis management. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to staff on Thursday evening that he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope had canceled plans to attend the show. Engine-maker GE Aerospace, whose engines were on the Boeing 787 plane, canceled their investor day event. It's unclear if deals will still happen, though if so, they will surely be quiet. At Air India, the airline is fighting battles on multiple fronts at the same time. With no time to recover from the incidents of yesterday, the airline went to diverting or returning 16 long-haul flights owing to the overnight closure of the Iranian airspace. To add to it, the airline also faced a hoax bomb threat on AI 379 from Phuket to Delhi.
Time of India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
AI 171 crash fallout: DGCA order enhanced checks for Air India Dreamliners with GE engines
NEW DELHI: Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliners powered by General Electric GEnx engines will now operate under enhanced safety inspections. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued this directive a day after an AI Dreamliner's (VT-ANB) accident crashed in Ahmedabad seconds after taking off for London, killing 241 people onboard and several others in the building on the roof of which it had crashed. As a 'preventive measure,' the regulator has directed AI to 'carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircrafts equipped with GEnx engines with immediate effect in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices.' While B787-8 are Dreamliners of AI, the B787-9 version was in the fleet of Vistara, which merged into AI last Nov. The additional checks mandated for AI include: 'One time check before departure of flight from India from June 15, 2025, (12 am) onwards. Inspection of fuel parameter monitoring and associated system checks. Inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems. Electronic engine control-system test. Engine fuel driven actuator-operational test and oil system check. Serviceability check of hydraulic system. Review of take-off parameters. 'Flight control inspection' to be introduced in transit inspection till further notice. Power assurance checks to be carried out within two weeks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Closure of maintenance action based upon the review of repetitive snags during the last 15 days on B787-8/9 aircraft at the earliest.' AI has to submit report of these checks to the DGCA for review. Like all initial Dreamliners, VT-ANB had its share of troubles like windshield crack soon after it was inducted in AL fleet in 2014. But Boeing was able to overcome these teething troubles with its mid-range wide body aircraft, with the most serious being overheating of lithium-ion batteries on the Dreamliner. In Jan 2013, all Dreamliners were briefly grounded globally due to safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries. Once the systemic issues were sorted out, VT-ANB — like all aircraft — also had its share of other snags. Most recently, while flying as A! 148 from London to Hyderabad on Nov 17, 2021, it had diverted to Ankara due to fuel leak. 'There are 1,148 Boeing 787 variants in service globally, with an average age of 7.5 years old. Air India had 34 of the Boeing 787 in service at the time of the incident, including this aircraft. The airline has an additional 20 787 on order and letter of intent for options an additional 24 aircraft. In total, Air India has 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years old,' according to flight data site Cirium. In a statement, GE Aerospace said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Air India Flight AI-171. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those impacted. We have activated our emergency response team, and we are prepared to support our customer and the investigation." Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Dreamliner's Final Descent: Air India's first crashed 787 had hopes of flying for 30 years
A Dreamliner that once flew nonstop from Seattle to Delhi in over 17 hours met a tragic end in Ahmedabad on Thursday, becoming the first Boeing 787 to crash globally, reported TOI. The aircraft, registered as VT-ANB, was delivered to Air India in January 2014. A senior commander who had flown it home had said during its first walk-around, 'I hope this plane goes to a boneyard 25-30 years later and gets recycled there," reported TOI. Fate cut that dream short after just 11 years in service. The aircraft was one of the early B787-8 variants built in Seattle and was heavier by five tonnes than initially promised, which impacted efficiency, according to the pilot who took delivery of the aircraft. 'VT-ANB was supposed to be our second Dreamliner but became the 12th because of some pre-delivery issues,' he said. 'It flew well as long as it did.' 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. Ads By Google Ad will close in 29 Skip ad in 4 Skip Ad by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like We Tested 17 Anti-Aging Creams - Only 1 Delivered Jaw Dropping Results Best Of Beauty Learn More Undo According to the TOI report, citing flight data company Cirium, the aircraft had logged over 41,000 flying hours and nearly 8,000 takeoff and landing cycles since its first flight on December 14, 2013. 'This is average for that aircraft build year/period,' Cirium said. In the last 12 months alone, it completed about 700 flight cycles. VT-ANB had its share of technical issues over the years. It was diverted to Ankara in November 2021 due to a fuel leak while flying from London to Hyderabad. Like other early Dreamliners, it also suffered from teething troubles including windshield cracks and battery overheating issues, the latter causing a global grounding of the fleet in January 2013. Live Events Despite these early challenges, Boeing stood by the aircraft's long-term safety. 'This is a sad day for everyone,' said Dinesh Keskar, former senior VP at Boeing, who oversaw delivery of 27 Boeing 787s and 777s to Air India. 'The 787 has a good safety record and we were able to fix all issues. I led a team to India to demonstrate how the new batteries had resolved earlier problems. Each delivery was special.' Air India had 34 Dreamliners in service at the time of the incident. Cirium noted that globally, 1,148 Boeing 787 variants remain operational with an average age of 7.5 years.
