DGCA directs Air India to intensify Boeing 787 checks

New Delhi

Following the tragic crash of Air India’s London-bound Flight AI171 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety checks for the airline’s Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft. The crash, which claimed 241 lives, involved an aircraft powered by Genx engines. As a precaution, the DGCA has instructed Air India to begin additional maintenance measures on all Boeing 787-8/9 planes with immediate effect.

Starting June 15, Air India must perform a one-time pre-departure check on all such aircraft flying from India. Other mandatory checks include fuel system monitoring, inspection of the cabin air compressor, electronic engine control system tests, engine actuator operations, oil system inspections, and hydraulic system serviceability checks. The airline must also review take-off parameters and implement a new ‘Flight Control Inspection’ during transit checks until further notice.

Additionally, power assurance checks must be completed within two weeks, and any recurring technical issues over the past 15 days must be addressed and reported promptly to DGCA. The regulator has asked for submission of all inspection reports for further review.

Meanwhile, the black box from the crashed aircraft has been recovered. Preliminary investigations suggest possible twin-engine failure, potentially due to a bird strike, contaminated or blocked fuel lines, or a combination of these. Indian aviation authorities will be joined by experts from the US and UK to thoroughly investigate the crash.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with over 8,000 flying hours, and co-pilot Clive Kunder, with over 1,000 hours, had issued a Mayday alert before the plane lost contact and crashed into a medical college building, erupting in flames.