Tata Group-promoted Air India has voluntarily broadened its ‘reliability enhancement programme’, ensuring comprehensive safety checks on its Boeing 787 and 777 fleet, sources told businessline.

The move comes after the Ahmedabad air crash of Air India flight AI-171.

Notably, these enhanced safety checks are in addition to the mandated inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

businessline was the first to report that the regulator was exploring the possibility of having all the Boeing 787s in service checked once before any further flight operations.

In an order issued on June 12, 2025, the DGCA mandated the airline to conduct one-time pre-flight checks on its entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft fleet, equipped with ‘GenX’ engines.

Sources cited that as many as 29 B787 aircraft have undergone the DGCA-mandated checks without any finding.

The rest of the four B787 aircraft are on the ground for maintenance tasks scheduled before the AI171 accident.

Besides, Air India has enlarged the scope of its minimum equipment list (MEL) to add even minute requirements for operations approval.

This list varies to cater to the needs of different aircraft types.

“The list outlines the minimum equipment required for an aircraft to be considered airworthy, even with certain minor issues not critical for operations,” sources said.

“The scope of this list has been widened to ensure the optimum serviceability ‘safety reliability’ of the aircraft. Air India’s engineering team are monitoring the MEL for all aircraft closely.”

On the spares front, Air India has engaged with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and service providers to supplement the stocks of spares to increase aircraft availability.

This step, according to sources, will help augment the airline’s operational reliability.

“The airline had set up one of India’s largest engineering warehouse to boost the ready availability of spare parts and components,” sources said.

“This ensures prompt action on any maintenance requirement, thereby ensuring faster turnaround time for aircraft serviceability. This initiative is being strengthened further.”

Furthermore, the DGCA mandated additional maintenance actions to ensure the airworthiness and safety of the fleet.

The airline was mandated to implement ‘flight control inspections’ during transit until further notice and carry out power assurance checks within two weeks.

Additionally, the airline was required to review and address recurring snags on its B787-8 or -9 aircraft reported in the last 15 days.

On June 17, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the “recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns.”

It noted that Air India’s aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found “compliant with existing safety standards”.

Published on June 26, 2025