Boeing shares fall nearly 8% after Air India plane crashes

Shares of planemaker Boeing fell nearly 8% in premarket US trading today after an Air India aircraft with 242 people crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad.
India's federal health minister said "many people" were killed in the crash. The plane was headed to Gatwick Airport in the UK, with police officers saying it crashed in a civilian area near the Ahmedabad airport.
Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. Boeing said in a statement it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information.
Boeing's 787 is a newer series of jets with a solid safety record and no fatal crashes. While battery issues once grounded the fleet, no injuries were reported.
The news comes as the planemaker tries to rebuild trust related to safety in its jets and ramp up production under new chief executive Kelly Orthberg.
Boeing's shares were down about 7.5% at $197.82 in premarket trading.
"It's a knee jerk reaction (to the incident) and there's revised fears of the problems that plagued Boeing aircraft and Boeing itself in recent years," said Chris Beauchamp, analyst at IG Group.

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The Irish Sun

17 hours ago

• The Irish Sun

Air India slammed for ‘repeated violations' and three officials sacked over ‘systemic failures' in wake of horror crash

AIR India has been slammed for "repeated violations" with three officials sacked over "systemic failures" following the tragic crash. Cracks within the airline have started to show after flight AI171 7 Crews search and clear the wreck Credit: EPA 7 The plane crashed in a fireball at a doctor's hostel Credit: x/nchorAnandN 7 Firefighters work at the site of the crash near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad Credit: EPA All passengers and crew - The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) urged Air India to remove three company executives from crew scheduling roles, it has been revealed. The three officials include a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling and one planning executive. Their sacking relates to lapses linked to flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and May 17 that exceeded the stipulated pilot flight time limit of 10 hours. read more news The order on Friday cited "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights" and criticised the lack of strict disciplinary measures against the officials. Despite the latest action by the aviation authority against Air India being unrelated to this month's tragic crash, it has laid bare the significant issues with the airline. On Thursday, it was also brought to light that authorities previously warned the airline for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The latest order by assistant director of operations at the DGCA, Himanshu Srivastava, said: "Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible." Most read in The Sun Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and in the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre. The airline added: "Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices." Shock moment passenger threatens to CRASH Air India plane mid-flight in furious row just days after Ahmedabad disaster The DGCA stated in its order that Air India had voluntarily disclosed the violations. Investigators are continuing their probe into what caused the airline's London-bound plane to plunge to the ground moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Air India said on Thursday that the The airline's chief N Chandrasekaran also hit back at 'speculation' on what caused the London-bound flight to crash a minute after take-off. And it was revealed that the The Indian government has the final say on who probes the device, but reports say the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. is being considered for the analysis. A team of Indian investigators is expected to accompany the device to ensure all protocols are followed during the Investigators warned on Tuesday that the recovered 7 The plane seconds before disaster with its landing gear still extended Credit: x/nchorAnandN 7 People stand near debris at the crash site Credit: EPA 7 The plane's tail can be seen sticking out of a building following the crash Credit: AP 7 Lone survivor of the Air India plane crash Vishwash Ramesh pictured at his family home in Diu, India Credit: Dan Charity Planes usually carry One records flight data, such as altitude and speed, whilst the other monitors the cockpit sound. The Despite the name, these devices are painted bright orange for visibility amid debris. Investigators believe the CVR on this 2014-delivered aircraft likely stored only two hours of cockpit audio. The jet predates a 2021 rule which enforced 25-hour recordings on all planes. But the FDR is capable of logging thousands of flight parameters for over 25 hours, including altitude, airspeed, and control inputs. The aircraft had climbed less than 600 feet before its ascent stalled, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A distress signal was sent but was met with complete radio silence. Moments later, the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex near the airport's northeastern boundary. The damaged black box is now seen as a crucial piece of evidence in understanding what led to India's worst air disaster in nearly three decades. Investigators hope the data from the box will shed light on the aircraft's final moments. 52 Brits died on board the flight, but London local Leading theories on Air India Flight AI171 THESE are some of the leading theories explaining the tragic Air India disaster which killed at least 270 people. Emergency power system : A small turbine generator was seen deploying as the Boeing 787 went down, experts said. Footage showed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft" with a "little grey dot" beneath it. Commentators say this was a system called Ram Air Turbine (RAT) poking out from the fuselage of the plane. Bird Strikes : A bird strike could have taken out both of the jet's giant General Electric engines. While a bird taking down something the size of a commercial airliner might sound fanciful, there are numerous examples. Wing flap position : Aviation experts have suggested the position of the aircraft's wing flaps could have played a role in the disaster. Video evidence suggests the flaps were either fully retracted or on a very minimal setting, which would have provided very little lift. The flaps provide crucial extra lift at low speeds during take-offs and landings. Pilot error : The state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 is highly automated, with human pilots making only key decisions - but human error cannot be ruled out. Co-pilot Clive Kundar had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience and made the mayday call but Captain Sumeet Sabharwa at the helm had 11,500 hours - making him one of Air India's most experienced pilots. Heat : Planes get less lift on a hot day due to lower air density, and therefore they need to go faster to get as much lift as on a cooler day. This is particularly important when an airliner is heavy with fuel, passengers and baggage, as the Air India flight was. Technical error : Catastrophic technical or engineering issues have not been ruled out. The jet's complex design mean it could take months for a design or engineering fault to be pinpointed.

Irish Times

2 days ago

• Irish Times

United Airlines expands capacity on routes from Dublin to US

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Irish Post

4 days ago

• Irish Post

Ryanair's O'Leary raises worries over Boeing planes

ANOTHER week, another comment from Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who has voiced serious concerns about Boeing's manufacturing standards. For the first time revealing that his airline now conducts its own extensive inspections on every aircraft it receives from the U.S. plane-maker. The comments come in the wake of a deadly crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner run by Air India. The plane, which was carrying nearly 250 people, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. While the cause of the crash is not yet known, there is no evidence that Boeing was at fault. O'Leary, whose airline exclusively operates Boeing planes, said Ryanair has taken extra steps in recent years to safeguard against problems. 'We had aircraft delivered that, when inspected in Dublin, had spanners and tools left under the floorboards,' he told The Times. 'It's unacceptable. What the factory in Seattle needs is engineers, not just salespeople.' To address these concerns, Ryanair now deploys a team of 30 engineers to monitor the assembly of its planes in the U.S. Once a plane arrives at the airline's headquarters in Dublin, it undergoes a detailed two-day inspection before it is approved for passenger use. 'Only when our engineers are completely satisfied does the aircraft enter operation,' O'Leary added. His remarks also coincide with renewed attention on claims made by Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour. A long-time engineer at the company, Salehpour alleged that shortcuts during the manufacturing of the 787 Dreamliner compromised the structural integrity of the fuselage. 'These are not minor issues,' Salehpour testified before a U.S. Senate panel last year. 'They could lead to structural failure after thousands of flight cycles.' Boeing maintains that thorough internal testing has revealed no immediate safety concerns. In response to the whistleblower's claims, the company stated, 'We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner. Assertions about its structural safety do not reflect the rigorous work we've done to ensure its long-term integrity.' The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently reviewing Salehpour's claims. Meanwhile, Boeing offered condolences to the victims of the Air India crash, with company executives pledging full cooperation with the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. First introduced in 2011, the 787 Dreamliner is one of Boeing's most popular long-haul planes. For O'Leary, ensuring safety means not taking any chances. 'Boeing makes great aircraft, but their quality control has slipped,' he said. 'That's why we've taken it upon ourselves to double-check everything. When it comes to safety, there's no room for error.' See More: Air India, Boeing, Michael O'Leary, Ryanair