Citing repeated snags, FIP demands grounding of Air India Boeing 787 flights
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New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Friday called on the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ground all Air India Boeing 787 aircraft in the country, pointing to a series of recurring technical issues.
The association also requested that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conduct a special safety audit of Air India’s fleet.
In a communication to the Ministry, FIP president CS Randhawa said that since June 16, the grouping has been demanding that all Boeing 787s in the country must be checked thoroughly for the electrical systems.
The letter highlighted recent incidents, including one in which the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed automatically during an Air India flight’s approach to Birmingham earlier in the week. It also cited another case involving flight AI-154 from Vienna to Delhi, which had to be diverted to Dubai after an autopilot failure led to multiple technical malfunctions, TNIE reported.
The letter also noted that following the fatal crash of flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, Air India aircraft have experienced several additional technical failures.
The communication warned that passenger safety was being put at risk because the causes of these repeated malfunctions in Boeing 787s had not been properly investigated.
The FIP reiterated its demand that the Civil Aviation Minister ground all Air India B-787s until they undergo a comprehensive inspection, with particular attention to their electrical systems.
The organisation further pressed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct a special audit of all Boeing 787 aircraft, emphasising that the frequency of system failures was increasing and posing a serious threat to flight safety.
It suggested that the audit be led by senior officials from the DGCA’s Flight Standards Directorate, Air Safety, and Airworthiness divisions. The letter also called for a detailed review of the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) clearances and repeated technical snags reported in the B-787 fleet.
According to the FIP, two recent cases of electrical malfunctions within a short time span highlighted Air India’s declining maintenance standards. The letter alleged that such incidents had become more common since newly recruited engineers took over maintenance duties for the airline’s aircraft.