MC EXCLUSIVE DGCA completes inspection of 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft; finds no major safety concern

The recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns.

Twenty-four out of the total 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in the fleet of Indian carriers have been inspected, and 'nothing alarming' has been found during the surveillance, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

"As of 1500 hrs on 17 June 2025, a total of 24 aircraft have successfully completed the required “Enhances Safety Inspection” mandated under Order Para 1 is applicable to the entire Air India B787-8/9 fleet, comprising 33 aircraft," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

The DGCA added that the surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns.

"The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards," the DGCA said.

Air India had 34 Boeing 787 air-frames in its fleet before the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171, which was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad to London. IndiGo has a 787-9 aircraft, but with a foreign registration.

"The 'Enhances Safety Inspection' mandated under Order Para 1 is applicable to the entire Air India B787-8/9 fleet, comprising 33 aircraft," the DGCA added in its statement on June 17.

Of the 33 aforementioned aircraft 'Enhances Safety Inspection' has been carried on 24 aircraft, another four are currently undergoing major checks at various maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) facilities, 'Enhances Safety Inspection' of an additional two aircraft are planned for completion by the end of June 17 with one more scheduled for June 18, the DGCA said.

The remaining two aircraft include two that are presently grounded and classified as Aircraft on Ground (AOG) at Delhi.

"The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service," the DGCA said.

The crash of the London Gatwick-bound Air India flight from Ahmedabad claimed the lives of 241 out of 242 people onboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The jet crashed moments after taking off on Thursday afternoon, marking the worst air tragedy in the country in three decades. Officials said at least 50 others were injured in the medical college hostel where the jet crashed.

DGCA calls on Air India's management for review

The DGCA on June 17 questioned Air India officials as part of the ongoing probe into the crash of flight AI 171. Air India's managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson, Director of Flight Operations Captain Pankul Mathur, and Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh were among the executives summoned for the urgent meeting chaired by DG Fazi Ahmed Kidwai on Tuesday evening.

India's aviation safety watchdog has asked Air India for the training records of the pilots and dispatcher for the plane that crashed last week as part of its investigation into the incident. The DGCA also asked all flying schools to conduct training compliance checks.

The DGCA also recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates.

"This is expected to enhance overall decision-making and reduce downstream disruptions," the DGCA said.

The aviation watchdog also told Air India to inform passengers well in advance regarding delays and cancellations due to the disruption caused by the crash of flight AI 171.

"Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels," the DGCA said.

The DGCA also raised concerns regarding recent maintenance related issues reported by Air India.

"The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations," the regulator said in a statement.

Flight delays and disruptions

The DGCA also noted that Air India has cancelled 16 flights since June 12, with 13 of the 16 flight cancelled due to the ongoing 'Enhanced Safety Inspection' of Air India's Boeing 787 aircraft.

The aviation regulator also reviewed the impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace.

"The closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. The operators (Air India and IndiGo) have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimize disruptions," the DGCA said in a statement on June 17.

Earlier in the day, another flight, AI 159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, was cancelled due to unavailability of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft because of airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks. However, an Air India spokesperson quoted by Hindustan Times denied that the flight was cancelled due to technical glitch.