Boeing has once again come under the spotlight after the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Flight AI-171, headed to London with 242 passengers from India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada, went down within a minute of takeoff on Thursday.
Barring a miracle survivor, there were no survivors in the plane crash. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 241 passengers whose lives were tragically cut short.
Medical students at BJ Medical College into where the plane crashed also lost their lives.
In the immediate aftermath of the worst crash involving a single aircraft in India, all eyes turned to Boeing. The company’s stock dropped sharply by over 7 per cent, and fresh questions about its safety record began to circulate, yet again. This is not the first time Boeing has faced such concerns.
Launched 21 years ago
The 787-8 Dreamliner is one of Boeing’s newer, more fuel-efficient models. But it has not been without issues. Over the years, the Dreamliner series has faced repeated problems, ranging from poor manufacturing and faulty components to broader concerns about safety.
While earlier incidents involving the Dreamliner have led to injuries, there were no recorded deaths before Thursday, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Though these incidents didn't involve crashes, the 787-8 has seen reports of hydraulic leaks, flap malfunctions, and emergency landings in recent years.
With what could be one of the deadliest crashes in the country, questions about Boeing’s Dreamliner jets are inevitable.
The 787-8 was the first model in the Dreamliner family. Launched in 2004, it had its first flight in December 2009 and entered commercial service in 2011.
The aircraft typically seats between 210 and 248 passengers and has a range of about 13,350 kilometres. It is 57 metres long, with a wingspan of 60 metres and a height of 17 metres.
“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.
Plane that faced serious allegations from a Boeing engineer
The 787-8 has long been in the eye of the storm for a while, mostly due to quality and safety concerns.
Thursday’s crash comes at a time when Boeing still has not recovered from the fallout of two deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
And it comes just a month after May 2025 when Boeing reached a deal with the US Justice Department that allowed it to avoid criminal prosecution.
Under the agreement, the company would admit to obstructing federal oversight, pay a fine, contribute to a victims' compensation fund, and invest in safety improvements. The deal is still pending a judge's approval and has been strongly opposed by many victims' families.
Boeing has also faced other serious safety incidents.
In January 2024, a hole opened mid-flight on a 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines trip, exposing passengers to high winds. In response, Boeing told regulators in August it would redesign the panels to detect potential issues more easily.
Then, in April 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration launched a probe into claims made by Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour. He alleged that sections of the 787 Dreamliner’s fuselage - just like the one involved in Thursday’s crash - were not properly fastened and could break apart mid-flight after repeated use.
According to Salehpour, the fuselage sections, made by different manufacturers, often didn’t fit perfectly.
Boeing responded that it had conducted extensive testing and “determined that this is not an immediate safety of flight issue.”
It is not yet clear how many flights the crashed Air India aircraft had completed. Records from Flightradar24 show that the plane was more than 10 years old.
Experts suggest that both engines of the crashed Air India flight may have stalled.
Since 2019, Boeing’s North Charleston plant has come under fire for serious quality control lapses - such as loose seats, untightened bolts, misaligned pins, and unsecured fuel-line clamps. Airlines like KLM have criticised the factory’s work, calling it “way below acceptable standards.”
Meanwhile, in Italy, prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into two suppliers accused of providing substandard titanium and aluminium alloys used in the 787’s construction. The case has raised questions about Boeing’s supply chain oversight and the overall safety of the Dreamliner programme.
Below are some of the most notable incidents involving the 787-8:
United Airlines Flight UA613 incident (January 24, 2025)
A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 suffered a sudden loss of altitude while flying over Côte d’Ivoire after both Inertial Reference Units (IRUs) failed. The malfunction led to severe altitude fluctuations, injuring 38 passengers, including 16 seriously. Despite the incident, the aircraft landed safely in Lagos, Nigeria. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later confirmed that the IRU failures were the cause.
Latam Airlines Boeing 787
In November, a Latam Airlines Boeing 787 experienced a sudden descent while cruising, resulting in two serious injuries, according to Boeing data.
United Airlines Boeing 787-8 rapid altitude shift (January 24, 2025)
Connected to the previous incident, this event involved a sudden and rapid altitude change over West Africa, causing injuries to both passengers and crew. The autopilot disengaged during the upset, forcing the pilots to take manual control of the aircraft. Investigations later linked the incident to technical failures, not turbulence.
British Airways Boeing 787 nose gear incident (June 18, 2021)
A British Airways 787-8 sustained serious damage at Heathrow Airport when its nose collapsed to the ground while parked, due to an engineering error involving the incorrect installation of the downlock pin. The incident caused minor injuries to the co-pilot and cargo crew but did not involve a crash.
In April, Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg called 2025 “our turnaround year” in a message to employees. But Thursday’s crash could mark another major setback in the company’s ongoing struggle to regain public trust.
Among Indian carriers, Air India 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. IndiGo has a small fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airway
