Air India crash: DGCA mandates immediate safety overhaul on Air India’s Dreamliner fleet post-incident

The June 12 air crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-800 has prompted India’s civil aviation regulator to mandate an urgent round of enhanced safety inspections across the airline’s Dreamliner fleet. The move comes just days after flight AI-171, en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, suffered an accident mid-operation, raising red flags over the fleet’s airworthiness.

In a formal order issued on June 13, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to conduct a series of immediate and additional maintenance checks on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines. The inspections are to be coordinated with regional DGCA offices and commence from June 15 at 00:00 hours.

The mandated checks include:

• Inspection of fuel parameter monitoring systems and related components,
• Cabin air compressor and system diagnostics,
• Electronic engine control system tests,
• Operational testing of engine fuel-driven actuators and oil system checks,
• Hydraulic system serviceability reviews, and
• Review of take-off parameters.

Additionally, DGCA has ordered that a "Flight Control Inspection" be added to transit checks until further notice, with power assurance tests required within the next two weeks.

Air India is also instructed to address any repetitive technical issues identified over the past 15 days on its 787-8/9 fleet. All findings must be submitted to the DGCA for evaluation.

The directive, signed by Director of Airworthiness Jayanta Ghosh, emphasises the regulator’s proactive stance to ensure passenger safety and mechanical reliability following the recent mishap.