Ahmedabad Plane Crash Fallout: DGCA Launches Safety Overhaul Of Air India's Boeing 787 Jets

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated comprehensive inspections across Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, beginning Sunday.

This includes checks of the fuel parameter monitoring system, electronic engine control (EEC) units, and cabin air compressors before every flight departure.

Source : PTI

In the wake of the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, India's aviation regulator has moved swiftly to tighten safety protocols.

The incident claimed the lives of 241 people on board and at least 30 individuals on the ground, leaving the nation reeling. Following the disaster, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated comprehensive inspections across Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, beginning Sunday, reported Business Standard.

The regulatory action comes on the heels of a visit to the crash site by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also convened a high-level meeting to assess the situation. Hours after his visit, the black box—comprising the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder—was retrieved from the debris, a critical development for investigators probing the crash.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, who had rushed to Ahmedabad on the day of the crash, briefed several group company heads and later addressed Tata employees in a note. Calling the tragedy the “darkest hour in the history of the Tata group,” he assured staff of full transparency throughout the investigation. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson was also on the ground, surveying the site of the fatal incident.

Detailed Safety Protocols for Dreamliner Fleet

The DGCA's directive issued on Friday sets forth a range of mandatory inspections targeting crucial systems of all Boeing 787s operated by Air India. This includes checks of the fuel parameter monitoring system, electronic engine control (EEC) units, and cabin air compressors before every flight departure. The agency further instructed operational testing of fuel-driven actuators and oil systems, both critical for engine health and cooling.

Inspections will also cover hydraulic systems powering flight control surfaces, landing gear, and brakes. The DGCA has asked Air India to revalidate take-off performance data for anomalies linked to weight distribution, engine output, or environmental factors. Flight control systems must now be assessed during all transit checks, even during short turnarounds between flights.

Additionally, power assurance checks—used to ensure engines are producing the required thrust—are to be conducted within two weeks. The airline has been tasked with resolving all recurring technical issues flagged over the past fortnight. All findings will be submitted to the DGCA, and regional offices will oversee compliance.

According to Cirium, a leading aviation analytics firm, Air India currently operates 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and has firm orders for 20 more, with options for another 24. The average age of the fleet stands at 8.4 years, slightly older than the global average of 7.5 years for the 1,148 Boeing 787s in service worldwide.

Global and National Reactions Intensify

While an initial report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected within weeks, a full probe may take months. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the black box was recovered within 28 hours of the crash. “This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,” he said in a post on X.

The only person to survive the crash was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a UK national of Indian origin. Prime Minister Modi visited both the survivor and the families of some of the victims, including those of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

In a public message, the Prime Minister expressed sorrow over the disaster: “We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad... The void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.”

Air India has mobilised a substantial team to handle the crisis. CEO Campbell Wilson said nearly 100 caregivers and 40 engineers had reached Ahmedabad, with more staff en route. Assistance centres have been set up at key airports, including Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and London Gatwick.

Meanwhile, the incident has triggered global repercussions. Japan’s transport ministry has ordered its airlines to carry out inspections of their Boeing 787s, signalling heightened international vigilance on Dreamliner operations. At a press briefing in Washington DC, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it was “way too premature” to contemplate grounding the entire Boeing 787 fleet.