Air India shares BIG update on Boeing 787 aircraft after DGCA order; flights may see delay on long-haul routes | Details

Air India Plane Crash: Following an order from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in light of the fateful Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India on Saturday announced it was in the process of conducting one-time safety check on its Boeing 787 fleet.

“Air India is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA. These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations,” an Air India spokesperson said on Saturday, two days after the fateful plane crash killed at least 270 people and injured many others on ground.

The airline further said it has completed such safety checks on nine of its Boeing 787 aircraft and is in process to complete it for the remaining 24 planes.

“Air India has completed such checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft and are on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator,” the company said in a statement on X.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had ordered Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on Boeing aircraft in the aftermath of the Air India plane crash that killed 241 on board. The total death toll in the incident climbed to 270 on Saturday as the flight crashed into a building.

Air India says some flights may be delayed

In its social media statement, Air India informed that the safety checks on the Boeing 787 aircraft may cause potential delays on certain routes due to higher turnaround time.

“Some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes especially those to airports with operating curfews.”

The spokesperson said that flyers will be notified if there are any delays on their routes and will be offered refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling if they opt for it.

“Customers will be duly notified about any delays. They are advised to check the status of their flights at http://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before heading to the airport,” Air India said.

“For customers affected by this disruption, refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling are being offered to those who opt for it,” it added.

DGCA order to Air India

In a letter to Air India, the DGCA on Friday listed out the checks the airliner will have to carry out on all of its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, which it ordered should start by 15 June 2025.

The enhanced DGCA inspection will include checks of various systems and a review of take-off parameters of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India, owned by Tata Group.

Air India's fleet includes 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft and 7 Boeing 787-9 planes.