Latest news with #Dreamliners
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
'Sacked for alerting Boeing malfunctions': Air India whistle blowers claim technical glitch flagged a year before Ahmedabad crash
Live Events Air India on maintenance of Boeing aircraft (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Two whistle blowers, senior Air India flight attendants, in a letter have alleged that a technical problem with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner was flagged by them to the airline, a year before the deadly Ahmedabad crash that killed 241 of 242 onboard, according to a TOI two attendants have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming they were terminated from service by the airline after they refused to change their statement about a technical problem with a Boeing 787 door last year, as per the per the letter quoted by ToI, the two alleged that the Dreamliner's door had malfunctioned as the slide raft deployed, though the door was opened in the "manual mode". Slide rafts deploy when a door is opened in "armed" or "automatic mode". As per the report, the incident had occurred on May 14, 2024, after the Mumbai-London B787 (VT-ANQ) operating flight AI-129 docked at Heathrow and the passengers disembarked. Accordingly, the pilots and crew gathered at door L4 last year in May. The two flight attendants, responsible for door opening, carried out the checklist to confirm it was in the manual position, said the letter. But the slide raft deployed when the door was incident, they say, was initially corroborated in writing by the pilot and cabin-in-charge. "However, to our utter shock and surprise when we told (the AI management) the truth that the door was in manual position when opened, we were threatened with termination," the letter alleged on Wednesday."We refused to change our statements despite considerable pressure exerted on us by higher authorities," the letter alleged, naming three officials. "However later the commander changed his statement by stating that he was not looking when the door was opened," it letter alleges Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suppressed the May 14, 2024, incident and other similar occurrences involving Dreamliners. The crew claim DGCA launched only an "informal inquiry" despite the gravity of safety issues raised, and no report has been shared also allege key witnesses present during the slide deployment incident were deliberately excluded from the probe. Both crew members have served Air India for over two decades. Their complaint was filed with Central Vigilance Commission last crashed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was "well-maintained" with its last major check in June 2023 and the next scheduled for December 2025, said Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on a message to flyers, the Air India chief also said the 15 per cent reduction in Air India's widebody fleet operations for the next few weeks is a temporary move."The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023 and the next scheduled for December 2025. Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," he said that following the June 12 crash and as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline has been conducting thorough safety inspections on its 33 Boeing 787 far, inspections have been completed on 26 aircraft and these have been cleared for service, he said and added that the remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will have these additional checks done before being released into service.'Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that Air India Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards,' he DGCA raised concerns over recent maintenance-related issues at Air India and directed airline to boost inter-department coordination, it said that the surveillance of the airline's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns in the wake of the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad last week. On June 13, a day after the crash , the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, comprising 26 787-8s and seven 787-9s.(with TOI inputs)
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India cancels 8 flights citing enhanced maintenance. Full list
Air India continues to grapple with a wave of flight disruptions as the airline cancelled at least eight more domestic and international flights, citing "enhanced maintenance and operational reasons" on Friday. This comes in the wake of heightened regulatory scrutiny and ongoing safety checks following the fatal crash of a Dreamliner on June 12 that resulted in the deaths of 270. Among the international routes affected on Friday were AI906 (Dubai–Chennai), AI308 (Delhi–Melbourne), AI309 (Melbourne–Delhi), and AI2204 (Dubai–Hyderabad). AI906: Dubai to Chennai AI308: Delhi to Melbourne AI309: Melbourne to Delhi AI2204: Dubai to Hyderabad AI874: Pune to Delhi AI456: Ahmedabad to Delhi AI2872: Hyderabad to Mumbai The cancellations are part of a broader operational crisis for the airline, which is still recovering from the Ahmedabad–London Gatwick Dreamliner crash that claimed 271 lives, including at least 30 on the ground. Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered comprehensive safety inspections across Air India's Boeing 787 fleet. According to DGCA data, since the crash, 66 Dreamliner flights have been cancelled. On June 12 alone, six of the 50 Dreamliner-operated flights were grounded. The regulatory body confirmed that as of June 18, 24 of Air India's 33 Dreamliners had undergone checks, with more aircraft scheduled for review in the coming days. Two jets are currently listed as AOG (Aircraft on Ground) in Delhi due to maintenance issues. Today's cancellations add to a growing list of grounded flights this week. On Tuesday, at least 13 Dreamliner flights, including the newly designated AI-159 (formerly AI-171) on the Ahmedabad–London route, were cancelled. That particular aircraft had been expected to resume operations after the crash but was grounded due to 'unavailability of the aircraft.'
Kuwait Times
6 hours ago
- General
- Kuwait Times
Air India says plane ‘well-maintained' before crash
NEW DELHI: Air India's Boeing plane was 'well-maintained' before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said Thursday. Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 people were also left dead. As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — the airline said that no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster. 'The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023,' Air India said in a statement. 'Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,' the airline said. The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad moments after takeoff. Initial checks since the crash on Air India's Dreamliners 'did not reveal any major safety concerns', the country's civil aviation regulator said Tuesday. India's aviation investigative unit said Thursday the probe was 'progressing steadily'. 'Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway,' the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. The airline said Thursday the pilots were accomplished flyers. 'The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft,' it said. 'First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience.' While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, families of dozens of victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified. As of Thursday, 210 victims have been identified through DNA testing, state health minister Rushikesh Patel said. — AFP
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Air India says plane 'well-maintained'
Air India's Boeing plane was "well-maintained" before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said on Thursday. Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad a week ago. At least 38 people were killed in the residential neighbourhood that the plane hit, causing such devastation that DNA analysts are still trying to identify dozens of the dead. As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes -- the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder -- the airline said no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster. "The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023," Air India said in a statement. "Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," it said. The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed down in Ahmedabad moments after takeoff. Initial checks on Air India's Dreamliners since the crash "did not reveal any major safety concerns", the country's civil aviation regulator said on Tuesday. India's aviation investigative unit said on Thursday the probe was "progressing steadily". "Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway," the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. The pilots were accomplished flyers, according to the airline.
Canada News.Net
8 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Investigators analyze flight recorders in deadly Dreamliner crash
NEW DELHI, India: Indian investigators are examining the black boxes from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to determine the cause of a catastrophic crash that killed at least 270 people last week. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders were recovered from the wreckage and are expected to provide crucial details about engine performance, control settings, cockpit conversations, and potential distress signals. The Air India flight, bound for London, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. Only one person survived out of 242 on board, while 29 others were killed on the ground—making it one of India's worst aviation disasters in decades. The investigation is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with support from U.K. and U.S. authorities, including Boeing officials. Aviation expert and former pilot Amit Singh emphasized that black box data will be central to understanding the crash sequence. The cockpit voice recorder captures conversations and alarms in the cockpit, while the digital flight data recorder logs technical metrics such as engine thrust and control settings. "The data will reveal everything," Singh said, noting that communication with air traffic control and emergency warnings will also be analyzed. India's aviation regulator confirmed that a mayday call was made before the crash. Investigators are now reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing eyewitnesses, and examining the pilots' training history, the aircraft's maintenance records, weight and balance, and any prior technical issues. Former AAIB director Aurobindo Handa explained that the investigation will follow international protocols set out in the UN's "DOC 9756" manual. Given the extensive fire damage to the wreckage, Handa warned that assessing the condition of the black boxes—especially their ability to withstand extreme heat—will be critical to the inquiry. The Indian government has also formed a high-level committee to investigate the cause of the crash and recommend future safety measures. A preliminary report is expected within three months. Meanwhile, Air India's entire fleet of 33 Dreamliners is undergoing additional inspections and maintenance checks. The aircraft involved in the crash was 12 years old. Despite a number of safety concerns across Boeing's product line, this marks the first fatal crash of a 787 Dreamliner since the model began operations 16 years ago. There are around 1,200 Dreamliners currently in service worldwide.
