Air India Clarifies Dreamliner Crash: Right Engine Overhauled, Left Inspected
Following the tragic crash of its Dreamliner aircraft shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, Air India has provided detailed clarifications to address rising concerns about the safety of its fleet. In an email to members of its elite Maharaja Club, Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson shared that the aircraft was well-maintained, with its right engine having undergone a complete overhaul in March 2025 and the left engine inspected in April.
The London Gatwick-bound flight had passed a major inspection in June 2023, with the next scheduled for December 2025. Wilson emphasized that there were no reported technical issues prior to departure. The two pilots onboard—Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder—had a combined flying experience of over 13,400 hours.
The reassurance comes amid scrutiny over the airline’s fleet of 128 aircraft, including 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners—now 32 after the crash. Initial investigations suggest a possible dual engine failure or total electronic or hydraulic system malfunction. Evidence of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deploying supports this theory, though experts caution that engine reliability isn’t necessarily tied to age, especially with Genx-1B engines used in the 787-8 series. These engines are monitored by Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), which flags issues in real-time.
Despite this, some engine components still require periodic replacement. In light of the crash, Air India has conducted thorough safety checks on 26 Dreamliners, all of which have been cleared for service. Additional enhanced pre-flight inspections are ongoing for the rest of the fleet. As a result, the airline has temporarily reduced the use of its wide-body aircraft by 15% until mid-July.
Wilson explained that the increased time required for safety inspections, combined with airspace closures over West Asia, has resulted in an unusually high number of long-haul flight cancellations. Since the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported 66 flight cancellations, with 22 occurring the day after the accident.
Details of the Crash:
On June 12, Flight AI-171 took off from Ahmedabad at 1:39 PM. Moments after take-off, the pilots reported a loss of thrust and issued a “Mayday” call before losing contact with Air Traffic Control. Tragically, the aircraft crashed into a densely populated area just two kilometers from the airport.
The plane was carrying 272 people, including 10 crew members. All but one—a British-Indian man—perished in the crash. At least 33 individuals on the ground also lost their lives after the aircraft hit a residential zone in Meghani Nagar. Disturbing footage captured the aircraft’s final moments, showing it plummeting into a hostel for medical students, where the impact was most severe.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also among the passengers on board.
Investigation Underway:
Authorities have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—commonly known as black boxes. These devices, though slightly damaged, are crucial to determining the cause of the crash. It remains to be decided whether the data extraction will occur in India or abroad. If sent overseas, Indian officials will accompany the devices to ensure protocol compliance.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
