In a significant move, the Federation of Indian Pilots has formally requested the grounding of the entire Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. This call to action was made in a letter addressed to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, K Ram Mohan Naidu. The pilots’ body is advocating for a comprehensive inspection of all Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes currently operating in the country to identify any potential faults, particularly within their electrical systems.
Furthermore, the Federation has called for a special audit of Air India, to be conducted by senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), focusing on flight safety, air safety, and airworthiness.
Concerns Sparked by Recent Incidents
This plea follows the tragic crash of Air India flight 171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, which resulted in significant loss of life. The Federation highlighted that since this incident, there have been numerous other failures reported on Air India aircraft. They expressed concern that the continuous operation of Boeing 787s without thorough investigation into these failures is compromising air travel safety.
The pilots’ federation specifically pointed to two recent malfunctions involving Boeing 787 aircraft:
- On October 4, Air India flight 117 experienced an issue where its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed during its approach to Birmingham.
- On October 9, Air India flight 154, traveling from Vienna to Delhi, encountered multiple malfunctions and had to be diverted to Dubai.
Beyond the immediate request for grounding and inspection, the pilots’ body is also seeking a thorough investigation into these specific incidents to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences.