India States ‘No Major Safety Concerns' Over Air India Boeing 787 Fleet

June 19, 2025

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation has confirmed that officials held a high-level meeting with senior representatives from Air India and Air India Express, its low-cost arm. The Ministry organized the meeting to review the operational robustness of the two airlines and to ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger regulations, it said.

Air India

IATA/ICAO Code: AI/AIC

Year Founded: 1946

Alliance: Star Alliance

CEO: Campbell Wilson

In addition, the officials confirmed that following inspections of some of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, there were no major safety concerns. The aircraft and related maintenance systems were compliant with existing safety standards, the Ministry added, which were checked after the fatal Air India Flight 171 crash on June 12th.

There Are No Major Concerns About The Safety Of Air India’s Boeing 787 Fleet

Air India Boeing 787-8 at SIN shutterstock_2355149121 Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

In a statement on June 17th, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation said that its daughter agency, the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), held a high-level meeting with officials from Air India and Air India Express, the former’s low-cost carrier subsidiary. During the session, the airline and the ministry’s officials reviewed the operational robustness of the two airlines and ensured their continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations.

In addition, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the inspections of some of Air India’s Boeing 787s (27 787-8s and seven 787-9s per ch-aviation, the latter of which joined the airline’s fleet once it had merged with Vistara) did not “reveal any major safety concerns.” The fleet and its associated maintenance systems were compliant with existing safety standards, the Ministry highlighted. However, its statement read that:

Stored And In-Maintenance Air India Boeing 787s

Vistara Boeing 787-9 landing at BOM shutterstock_1854966673 Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock

At the same time, the Ministry disclosed that the DGCA’s mandated ‘enhanced safety inspection’ was applicable to the airline’s whole 787 fleet, which, again, per ch-aviation records, comprises 34 787 aircraft: 27 787-8 and seven 787-9s. According to the Ministry, four are currently undergoing maintenance checks at various maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organizations.

As of 15:00 local time (UTC +5:30) on June 17th, 24 of Air India’s 787s had been inspected and passed the DGCA’s mandated checks. Two more aircraft of the type should have been inspected by the end of June 17th, and one on June 18th. “The remaining 6 aircraft include 2 aircraft, which are presently AOG at [ Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)]," the Ministry said.

The officials’ statement disclosed that the checks on the six widebodies would be completed before their return to official service, while four 787s, undergoing maintenance, would be inspected before they are released from the maintenance hangars.

Post-Crash Inspections Of Air India’s Aircraft

Air India Boeing 787-8 departing DEL shutterstock_2319310345-2 Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock

Indian officials mandated the checks of Air India’s 787s following the airline’s fatal accident on June 12th. Then, shortly after the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD), it failed to gain altitude and crashed into a residential area more than a kilometer (0.62 miles) away from the airport. It was the first-ever hull loss of a 787.

Out of the 242 people who were onboard, including 230 passengers, 12 crew members, including ten flight attendants, only one person survived. The survivor was seated in seat 11A, just in front of the left-hand side emergency exit, and was later discharged from hospital, according to the Press Trust of India. An unconfirmed number of fatalities also occurred when the 787-8, registered as VT-ANB, crashed into the complex of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

In an exclusive report, the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the investigation, disclosed that the aircraft’s emergency power generator was operating when the 787-8 crashed. On June 14th, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation said that investigators had recovered the aircraft’s black box.