Surveillance of Air India’s Boeing 787s didn’t reveal major safety concern: DGCA

In a high-level meeting with senior officials of Air India and Air India Express, who are currently operating over 1,000 flights daily across domestic and international sectors, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) raised concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported by Air India.

The DGCA also reviewed recent operational data for Air India’s wide-body operations, with specific attention to the Boeing 787 fleet.

The recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns; the aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards, the statement said.

“As of 17 June 2025, a total of 24 aircraft have successfully completed the required check. An additional 2 aircraft are planned for completion today, with 1 more scheduled for tomorrow. The remaining 6 aircraft include 2 aircraft, which are presently AOG (Aircraft on Ground) at Delhi. The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service. The remaining 4 aircraft currently under MRO will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from the respective maintenance hangars,” the DGCA said.

The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations.

The meeting was convened to review the operational robustness of the airlines and ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations.

The impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was reviewed in the meeting.

“The closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. The operators have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternative routing strategies to minimise disruptions,” an official statement by DGCA read.

The operators were also reminded of their obligations under the relevant Civil Aviation Requirements which mandates them to inform passengers well in advance regarding delays and cancellations.

Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels.

The regulator recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates.

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