The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday stated that it found no major safety concerns with Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet following a recent surveillance review. The regulator also confirmed that the airline’s maintenance systems were compliant with current safety norms.
This announcement comes after a high-level review meeting with top officials from Air India Ltd. and Air India Express, which together operate over 1,000 daily flights across domestic and international sectors. The DGCA initiated the review in the wake of the June 12 crash of flight AI 171, which was bound for London from Ahmedabad and resulted in the loss of over 270 lives, including 241 passengers.
As part of the review, the DGCA examined seven critical issues, including maintenance-related delays, airspace restrictions, and operational coordination. Special attention was paid to the operational data of Air India’s wide-body fleet, especially the Boeing 787s.
DGCA officials met with Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and conducted a protocol meeting with senior airline management. The regulator instructed the Tata-owned carrier to improve aircraft safety and maintenance, ensure on-time performance, and address recurring delays. It also emphasized the need to enhance crisis communication and provide accurate, real-time information to passengers.
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Cancellations Rise as Air India Ramps Up Safety Checks
Despite the clean safety audit, Air India on Tuesday cancelled seven international flights, citing technical issues and aircraft unavailability. Notably, six of the affected flights were scheduled to operate with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners—the same model involved in the AI 171 crash. The cancelled flights included:
- AI915 (Delhi to Dubai – B788)
- AI153 (Delhi to Vienna – B788)
- AI143 (Delhi to Paris – B788)
- AI159 (Ahmedabad to London – B788)
- AI170 (London to Amritsar – B788)
- AI133 (Bengaluru to London – B788)
- AI179 (Mumbai to San Francisco – B777)
According to Air India, the Delhi–Paris flight was cancelled after a technical issue was detected during pre-flight checks, while the Ahmedabad–London disruption was due to aircraft unavailability.
Post-crash, Air India has intensified safety inspections for the Dreamliner fleet, which has contributed to schedule disruptions. Between June 12 and June 17, the DGCA tracked Air India’s operations closely:
June 12: 90 flights operated, 6 cancelled (50 B787 flights, 5 cancelled)
June 13: 80 flights operated, 22 cancelled (41 B787 flights, 11 cancelled)
June 14: 86 flights operated, 12 cancelled (47 B787 flights, 12 cancelled)
June 15: 76 flights operated, 16 cancelled (14 of the cancelled flights were B787s)
June 16: 75 flights operated, 11 cancelled (all B787s)
June 17 (till 6 PM): 55 flights operated, 16 cancelled (13 B787s)
The DGCA has asked Air India to tighten flight operations, reduce delays, and strengthen passenger support systems in compliance with Civil Aviation Requirements.
