New Delhi: After the devastating crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad, India to London Gatwick, the regulator in charge of India's civil aviation has issued a standard instruction to enhance safety checks on all of Air India's Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 fleets with Genx engines.
The crash on June 12, occurred just after taking off out of Ahmedabad airport. The flight was operated by aircraft VT-ANB and there was reported communication loss after a Mayday call was issued. The aircraft with 242 people on board crashed just outside of the airport perimeter in the Meghaninagar area with thick black smoke and fire. Multiple fire tenders responded immediately to the incident with the crash site on fire.
According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) information the flight was under command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who is a Line Training Captain with over 8200 flying hours and First Officer Clive Kundar with 1100 flying hours.
DGCA's preliminary report confirmed that the aircraft took off at 1:39 PM IST from runway 23 before issuing a MAYDAY call, which is only used in life-threatening emergencies. DGCA noted that no further communication was received before the cockpit communication ended, and the aircraft crashed shortly after.
As a preventive measure, DGCA has now directed Air India to carry out a series of mandatory inspections across its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, effective from June 15, 2025. These include:
- One-time pre-departure checks on fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, electronic engine control systems, and hydraulic serviceability
- Operational tests on engine fuel-driven actuators and oil systems
- Review of take-off performance parameters
- Mandatory inclusion of flight control inspections in routine transit checks
- Power assurance checks to be completed within two weeks
- Immediate closure of repetitive snags reported over the last 15 days
Air India is required to coordinate these inspections with regional DGCA offices and submit a detailed report to the aviation regulator for review. The directive, issued by Jayanta Ghosh, Director of Airworthiness, was approved by the competent authority as a preemptive step to ensure fleet-wide airworthiness and passenger safety.
The crash site remains under strict security, and the DGCA has dispatched an investigation team from Delhi to conduct a detailed on-ground probe. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik said, “A plane crashed in the Meghaninagar area near the airport. It is not yet clear what type of plane it was.” Fire officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that the aircraft caught fire upon impact and that firefighting units rushed to control the blaze.
The full extent of casualties remains unconfirmed, and rescue operations are ongoing. Authorities have urged the public to stay away from the area while emergency response and forensic teams continue their work.
This tragic incident has once again put the spotlight on aviation safety protocols in India, prompting swift regulatory action to prevent future occurrences and ensure that every aircraft in operation meets the highest maintenance and safety standards.
