Air India crash puts Boeing 787 Dreamliner back in spotlight: Whistleblower warned of 'ticking time bomb'

Michael Gordon Whitaker is an American lawyer who served as the 19th administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2023 to 2025. In picture: Whitaker testifies before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation on February 6, 2024. (Courtesy: The Washington Post)

Air India flight AI-171, operating a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and carrying 242 passengers, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, went down near a residential area, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. Emergency responders rushed passengers to nearby hospitals, and rescue operations were launched immediately.

This marks the first-ever hull loss of a Boeing 787 since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. A marquee aircraft once hailed as a symbol of next-generation aviation, but long plagued by technical faults, production delays, and safety concerns.

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What is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-haul, wide-body, twin-engine aircraft developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Introduced in 2011, it was designed to offer superior fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, and operational economics.

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Composite materials: Over 50 percent of the Dreamliner’s airframe (by weight) is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, reducing overall aircraft weight and improving fuel burn.

Advanced engines: Powered by either Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 or GE GEnx engines, the 787 achieves about 20 percent better fuel efficiency than its predecessor, the Boeing 767.

Long range: The 787-8 can fly up to 13,530 km, enabling direct point-to-point international routes.

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Air India’s history with the Dreamliner

In October 2012, Air India became the first airline to take delivery of a Dreamliner built at Boeing’s South Carolina plant, outside its original Everett, Washington facility. The Indian national carrier currently operates a fleet of 787-8s, which it uses for long-haul international routes including to the UK, North America, and the Middle East. This was the third 787 Dreamliner they had received; the first two were delivered from the Everett plant in Washington state.

A troubled aircraft from the start

The Dreamliner’s development has been marred by setbacks since its inception:

Battery fires: In 2013, the FAA grounded the entire global 787 fleet after lithium-ion battery fires were reported in multiple jets.

Production flaws: From 2019 onward, the 787 program faced serious quality control issues including gaps in fuselage joins, improper shimming, and foreign object debris left inside aircraft.

Delivery halt: Between January 2021 and August 2022, Boeing paused nearly all Dreamliner deliveries amid FAA oversight and internal audits.

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Operational issues with Boeing 787 Series

Jan 8, 2013: JAL 787 suffers fuel leak in Boston; flight cancelled.
Jan 9, 2013: United Airlines finds wiring issue near main battery; U.S. NTSB opens probe.
Jan 11 & 13, 2013: Same JAL aircraft leaks fuel again at Tokyo Narita. Japan's transport ministry investigates.
Jan 11, 2013: FAA begins comprehensive review of 787 systems.
Jul 12, 2013: Ethiopian Airlines 787 catches fire at London Heathrow; extensive heat damage. Caused by lithium battery in emergency locator transmitter.
Jul 26, 2013: ANA finds wiring damage in 2 aircraft; United reports pinched wire in one.
Aug 14, 2013: Fire extinguisher defect in 3 ANA jets, discharges into wrong engine due to assembly error.
Nov 22, 2013: Boeing warns airlines using GE engines to avoid high-altitude storms due to icing risks.
Jan 21, 2014: Norwegian Air Shuttle 787 suffers fuel leak mid-flight; delay of 19 hours. Issue found after passengers noticed leak. Faulty valve to blame.
Mar 2016: FAA warns of “unrealistic” low airspeed displays, risk of structural failure from abrupt pilot input.
Apr 22, 2016: FAA issues directive after GEnx engine suffers non-restartable failure due to fan ice imbalance.
Jun 18, 2021: British Airways 787-8 nose gear collapses while parked at Heathrow; caused by improperly inserted pin during maintenance.
Mar 11, 2024: LATAM Flight 800 drops suddenly mid-air; 50 injured, 12 hospitalized. Investigation ongoing.
Jun 12, 2025: Air India Flight AI-171 crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London.

Whistleblower raised red flags over safety

In a damning warning earlier in year 2024, Boeing engineer and whistleblower Sam Salehpour accused the company of cutting corners in the production of both the 777 and 787 Dreamliners. In interviews with The New York Times and CNN, Salehpour alleged that improper assembly and rushed manufacturing practices could pose a catastrophic risk over time, especially as these jets age.

Sam Salehpour alleged serious quality issues in the manufacturing of its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets. In a complaint filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2024, Salehpour claimed that Boeing took production shortcuts that could pose long-term safety risks as the aircraft age. He also accused the company of retaliating against him after he raised concerns, first about faulty drilling on the 787 series, and later about misaligned body parts and pressure on engineers to approve uninspected work on the 777 series. Salehpour estimates the issues affect more than 400 Boeing 777s and over 1,000 Dreamliners.

One of his key claims: tiny gaps between fuselage sections were improperly filled, which could eventually lead to fatigue cracks. “These planes are being flown with a ticking time bomb,” Salehpour warned.

(Air India has issued a dedicated passenger hotline — 18005691444 — for inquiries related to the Ahmedabad plane crash.)