Air India’s Dreamliner Troubles Deepen; Pilots Demand Fleet Inspection and Safety Audit

On Friday, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation after two incidents in a week involving Air India's Boeing Dreamliner aircraft. The union requested that the airline's entire fleet of Dreamliner aircraft be grounded, their electrical systems inspected, and an audit of Air India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

FIP stated that on October 9, Air India flight AI154 from Vienna to Delhi was diverted to Dubai due to a major technical fault, and on October 4, a ram air turbine (RAT) was deployed on AI117 while landing at Birmingham Airport from Amritsar. Both flights were operated by Boeing 787 aircraft, also known as Dreamliners.

On June 12, Air India's Dreamliner flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, FIP President Captain C.S. Randhawa stated that the group has been demanding a thorough inspection of the electrical systems of all Boeing 787 aircraft in the country since June 16.

Calling for a thorough investigation into the two incidents involving AI117 and AI154, the group demanded that all Dreamliners in the country be grounded and their electrical systems and other recurring faults be thoroughly examined.

FIP stated, "There is a need to investigate MEL (Minimum Equipment List) releases and recurring faults in aircraft, especially the B-787." The FIP has requested a special audit of Air India by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Air India has 33 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet, and IndiGo operates these aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic. According to the letter, during flight AI154, the aircraft experienced a major technical problem, where the autopilot system suddenly failed, causing multiple technical malfunctions.