India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance check on Boeing Dreamliner aircraft in the aftermath of the fatal Ahmedabad crash, which killed 241 of the 242 onboard on Thursday.
In a letter to Air India, regulator listed out the checks the airliner will have to carry out on all of its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, starting June 15, 2025.
“As a preventive measure, DGCA hereby directs M/s Air India to carry out the following additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircrafts equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices,” stated DGCA’s letter.
The regulator directed the Tata Group airline to have an inspection of the Fuel Parameter Monitoring and associated system checks, and an inspection of the Cabin air compressor and associated systems.
DGCA also asked the airline to have Electronic Engine Control- System Test, Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check, Serviceability check of Hydraulic system and Review of Take-off parameters.
“Flight Control Inspection will have to be introduced in transit inspection till further notice, and Power assurance checks to be carried out within two weeks. Closure of maintenance action based upon the review of repetitive snags during the last 15 days on B787-8/9 aircraft at the earliest,” said the DGCA letter.
Air India currently operates a fleet of more than two dozen 787-8s, which it uses for long-haul international routes including to the UK, North America, and the Middle East.
In a tragic incident, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday. The aircraft, bound for London, went down in Meghani Nagar in Ahmedabad.
