Air India In Crisis Mode After Deadly Crash, Report Says Safety Checks Concluded On 22 Dreamliners

Air India has reportedly concluded additional inspections on 22 of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners in response to a tragic crash on Thursday that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and atleast 33 individuals on the ground. These emergency inspections were mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), focusing specifically on Dreamliners powered by GEnx engines.

The intensified checks included scrutiny of take-off parameters, electronic engine control systems, and components related to engine fuel systems. Air India’s Dreamliner fleet consists of 33 aircraft, with the oldest delivered in 2012. The ill-fated aircraft involved in the accident had entered service in 2014.

Citing  sources within the airline, The Economic Times reported that no major technical faults were uncovered during the inspections. However, several long-haul flights that were scheduled to operate on the Dreamliner aircraft, including those bound for Sydney and Melbourne, had to be cancelled.

The report quoted an Air India official and said, “The cancellations are due to a combination of factors including enhanced inspection which took longer time than expected and closure of the Iranian airspace."

Safety Measures Intensify as Crash Probe Deepens

Following the crash, air traffic patterns shifted significantly, with multiple airlines avoiding large sections of Middle Eastern airspace. This rerouting came in the wake of Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory action from Tehran, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region.

Providing details from the day of the crash, India’s aviation ministry confirmed that the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, sent out a distress signal to air traffic control within a minute of departure from Ahmedabad at 1:39 PM. However, there was no further communication after that. “There was no response,” said Samir Kumar Sinha, secretary at the aviation ministry. Moments later, the aircraft went down.

While the flight data recorder was recovered by Friday afternoon, the cockpit voice recorder was found on Sunday. Both devices—painted bright orange for visibility—are built to withstand extreme conditions and are essential for decoding the final moments of the flight.

Also Read : Paris Airshow Begins Amid Air India Crash Probe and Israel-Iran War

Centre Sets Up Committee for Aviation SOP Review

The central government is initiating a comprehensive review of aviation safety standards. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the formation of a committee headed by the home secretary to assess and recommend improvements to existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The goal is to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,” Naidu said. In parallel, a statutory investigation will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

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