By The Sampadak Express
Air India on Tuesday cancelled six international flights operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, intensifying concerns over the aircraft’s safety following last week’s devastating crash in Ahmedabad that killed 241 people on board.
List of Cancelled Flights
The affected services include:
AI 915: Delhi – Dubai
AI 153: Delhi – Vienna
AI 143: Delhi – Paris
AI 159: Ahmedabad – London (Gatwick)
AI 133: Bengaluru – London
AI 170: London – Amritsar
Additionally, AI 315 from Hong Kong to Delhi had to return mid-air due to a technical snag, while a San Francisco Mumbai flight was halted in Kolkata for emergency checks after a mechanical issue emerged during a scheduled stop. All passengers were deboarded as a precaution.
Global Dreamliner Concerns Spread
The turbulence wasn’t limited to Air India. Two Dreamliner jets operated by Lufthansa and British Airways en route to Hyderabad and Chennai from Frankfurt and London also made unscheduled return landings due to unspecified issues.
Why the Disruptions?
Air India attributed Tuesday’s Paris-bound flight cancellation (AI 143) to delays in fixing a technical issue during pre-flight checks. The delay would have breached night-time operation restrictions at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
As for the Ahmedabad London flight, the airline clarified that the aircraft was not facing any technical snag. The cancellation was due to airspace limitations and precautionary checks leading to unavailability of backup jets.
Aftermath of the AI 171 Crash
The cancellations come days after the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, where a Dreamliner jet headed to London Gatwick crashed just seconds after takeoff. The plane plummeted into a college hostel barely 2 km from the runway and exploded, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, along with 33 on the ground. It is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history.
The only survivor was a British-Indian national seated in 11A.
As a mark of respect, Air India has retired the AI 171 callsign.
What Do We Know About the Crash?
Early footage of the incident suggests the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed a safety mechanism triggered during dual engine failure or total hydraulic/electronic breakdown. The exact cause remains under investigation. Both voice and flight data recorders have been recovered for analysis, but a full report may take months.
DGCA Steps In
Following the crash, India’s aviation regulator DGCA has ordered comprehensive inspections of all 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners fitted with GEnx engines. These checks will include:
1. Take-off performance monitoring
2. Electronic engine control system tests
3. Engine fuel system assessments
4. Airline Fleet Snapshot
5. Air India currently operates 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
6. IndiGo, which recently acquired its first Dreamliner, has only one in service
As global concerns mount over Boeing’s 787 platform, regulatory agencies and airlines are ramping up safety checks and contingency planning to prevent further incidents.
