Air India Begins Safety Checks Of Its Boeing 787 Fleet After DGCA Order; Warns Of Delays On Select Long-Haul Routes

Air India is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Indian aviation regulator, the airline said in a statement.

This action comes after deadly crash of Air India's Ahmedabad-London flight, which killed at least 265 people, including 241 of 242 onboard the plane, after the aircraft crashed into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, reported India Today.

Only one passenger onboard the aircraft survived in the tragic accident.

These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations, Air India said.

"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 statement added.

The airline said that 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 airline said customers will be "duly notified about any delays", and advised them to check the status of their flights before heading to airport.

This comes as the DGCA has ordered comprehensive checks on all Dreamliners powered by GenX engines. The mandatory safety measures include:

- Inspection of fuel parameter monitoring and associated system checks.

- Inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems.

- Electronic engine control system test.

- Engine fuel-driven actuator-operational test and oil system check.

- Serviceability check of hydraulic system.

- Review of take-off parameters.

In addition, power assurance checks will be carried out within two weeks, and a 'Flight Control Inspection' will be introduced.

The civil aviation regulator has also directed the closure of maintenance action based upon the review of repetitive snags during the last 15 days on Boeing 787-8/9 at the earliest.