Growing Concerns Ground Dreamliners amidst Air India Tragedy
Multiple Air India Dreamliner flights were cancelled after a tragic crash in Ahmedabad. Heightened safety checks, technical faults, and international repercussions have brought Boeing 787-8 jets under intense scrutiny.
New Delhi: Air India grounded six international flights on Tuesday, all involving the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, following intensified scrutiny after last week’s catastrophic crash in Ahmedabad. The airline’s decision reflects mounting global apprehensions around Boeing’s flagship long-haul aircraft.
The affected flights were: AI 915 (Delhi-Dubai), AI 153 (Delhi-Vienna), AI 143 (Delhi-Paris), AI 159 (Ahmedabad-London), AI 133 (Bengaluru-London), and AI 170 (London-Amritsar). Compounding these cancellations, a separate Dreamliner flight (AI 315 from Hong Kong to Delhi) had to turn back due to a technical complication.
Another aircraft, on the San Francisco, Mumbai route, encountered a fault while stopping over in Kolkata, resulting in all passengers being deboarded as a precautionary measure.
Adding to global aviation anxieties, two Dreamliners operated by Lufthansa and British Airways were forced to return mid-flight, from Frankfurt and London to Hyderabad and Chennai, respectively, due to suspected malfunctions.
Air India explained that the A1 143 (Delhi-Paris) flight was halted after a pre-flight inspection revealed an issue that could not be rectified in time to comply with Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport’s night operation curfew. Similarly, the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick route was cancelled due to the aircraft's unavailability, further complicated by airspace constraints and additional vigilance protocols. The airline, however, clarified that no mechanical issue was found in the Dreamliner designated for that trip.
Air India Spokesperson says, "Flight AI143 from Delhi to Paris of 17 June has been cancelled. The mandatory pre-flight checks identified an issue which is being presently addressed. However, in view of the flight coming under the restrictions on night operations at Paris Charles…
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2025
These disruptions come on the heels of the horrifying June 12 crash of Air India Flight AI 171. The aircraft, departing from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a college hostel just moments after takeoff, bursting into a fireball and killing 241 of the 242 on board. The lone survivor was a British-Indian seated in 11A. Additionally, 33 fatalities were recorded on the ground, marking it as one of India’s gravest aviation calamities.
As a tribute, the airline has retired the 171 flight number permanently.
Investigations are ongoing, with both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder retrieved. Experts suggest it may take months to determine the precise cause. Initial analysis from crash footage suggests deployment of the RAT (Ram Air Turbine), an emergency device triggered only by severe dual-engine or full-system failures. The genesis of such a failure remains unresolved.
Reuters reports that Air India currently operates 33 Boeing 787 aircraft. In contrast, IndiGo possesses only one Dreamliner as per flight data from Flighttrader24. India’s aviation regulator, DGCA, has since mandated rigorous checks on 787-8/9 models with GEnx engines, emphasizing engine diagnostics, hydraulics, and take-off parameters.
