In response to two recent safety incidents involving Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged authorities to ground the full 787 fleet and order extensive electrical system inspections.
One of the incidents involved flight AI 154 from Vienna to Delhi, which was diverted to Dubai following a technical glitch. The FIP alleges failures in multiple critical systems—autopilot, flight controls, and instrument landing systems—stemming from potential electrical faults. Air India, however, denied the aircraft suffered any electrical failure.
In another event, the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—an emergency backup power device—was automatically deployed during descent on flight AI 117 from Amritsar to Birmingham, despite all monitored parameters appearing normal. Such an uncommanded deployment is highly unusual in routine operations.
Citing these events, the pilot association has sent a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, demanding:
- A comprehensive probe into both incidents (AI 117 and AI 154)
- Immediate grounding of all Air India 787s until they are fully cleared
- A special audit of the airline’s maintenance records, particularly focusing on recurring snags and electrical system integrity
The FIP emphasized that the frequency and severity of these anomalies, especially so soon after the tragic crash of AI 171 in Ahmedabad, warrant urgent remedial action.
Air India responded by stating that its preliminary investigations did not reveal any electrical failure in the Vienna-Delhi aircraft, and that the RAT deployment in the Birmingham flight could not be attributed to pilot error or system faults. The aircraft were grounded temporarily for inspections and later cleared for service.
Meanwhile, India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), has initiated a formal investigation into the RAT deployment incident, and will examine maintenance protocols across the 787 fleet to rule out systemic issues.
