The catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on Thursday would go down as the worst aviation disaster in recent history. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed into the premises of B. J. Medical College, after seemingly losing power in the take-off stage, claiming the lives of 241 passengers on board and many more on the ground. This accident and the overwhelming loss of lives raises critical questions about aviation safety and protocol.

The timing of the calamity could not have been more inopportune for Air India. In recent weeks, the airline has faced punitive financial and logistical pressures due to Pakistan’s closing of airspace. This has added to operating expenses, burdening an airline still navigating the legacies of ageing assets and a workforce stretched thin. The crash now threatens to unravel a hard-won turnaround under Tata Group’s stewardship, and understandably reignites questions about maintenance rigour and fleet integrity.

At the heart of this catastrophe lies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner — an aircraft that arguably has posted a decent safety record so far. A total of 1,175 Dreamliners have done 2,100 daily flights and flown about 1 billion passengers in the 14 years since the aircraft’s introduction. The age of the aircraft in question — the Air India Boeing 787 named VT-ANB — was also not an issue, being only 11 years old. Yet, its manufacturer is no stranger to controversy. The grounding of the 737 MAX after two fatal crashes in 2018-19 raised serious questions about Boeing’s safety culture. A mid-air blowout in January 2024 led to further management upheaval. US Congressional hearings went into Boeing’s safety standards. It turned out that cutting corners was not alien to Boeing’s ways. Allegations included compromised production standards where engineers reportedly forced fuselage panels into place under pressure to meet deadlines. While the 737 MAX tragedies reshaped global aviation oversight, the 787 Dreamliner escaped similar scrutiny — until now. The focus in this tragedy invariably turns to how the aircraft lost power seconds after take-off.

The temptation to find swift answers and take immediate action is understandable. However, the victims and their families deserve a commitment to uncovering the truth. It is imperative that all authorities — the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India, international agencies like the NTSB and Boeing, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — resist knee-jerk reactions. Grounding fleets prematurely or assigning blame in the absence of evidence helps no one. What is required is meticulous, transparent, and unimpeded investigation. Every plausible factor must be scrutinised — the aircraft’s maintenance logs, black box data (CVR and FDR), crew training and records, air traffic control communications, weather conditions, and potential technical malfunctions. A comprehensive audit of Air India’s maintenance procedures for its Dreamliner fleet is just as important.

Published on June 13, 2025