Following the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a thorough review of Air India's entire Boeing 787 fleet. The regulator has since announced that the surveillance did not reveal any major safety concerns. The DGCA's intensive checks included a review of Air India's wide-body operations, with specific attention paid to the Boeing 787 fleet, in light of rising flight volumes.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the DGCA ordered Air India to perform one-time maintenance checks on all of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft equipped with General Electric GEnx engines. These checks encompassed a comprehensive assessment of various systems, including fuel systems, hydraulics, engine control mechanisms, and cabin air systems. The directive mandated assessments of takeoff parameters, electronic engine control systems, and fuel-related components. The checks are being carried out as the Boeing 787 fleet returns to India, before they are cleared for their next operations.
Air India operates 33 Boeing 787 aircraft. As of June 14, 2025, Air India stated it had completed the one-time pre-flight checks on nine of its 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline also stated that it was on track to complete the process for the remaining aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator. According to sources, Air India is likely to have inspected around 28 aircraft by Wednesday, June 18, 2025, with the remaining five to be inspected later due to scheduled maintenance checks already in progress. Post inspections, the airline will submit an action-taken report to the DGCA.
The inspections included one-time pre-flight checks of six different items, such as fuel parameter monitoring and associated system, inspection of cabin air compressor, and electronic engine control system test.
In addition to the one-time checks, the DGCA has directed Air India to introduce flight control inspections during transit until further notice and to carry out power assurance checks within two weeks. The airline is also expected to address any recurring snags reported on its Boeing 787-8 or -9 aircraft in the preceding 15 days, ensuring that maintenance actions are promptly closed upon review.
The DGCA also held a high-level meeting with senior officials of Air India and Air India Express to review the operational robustness of the airlines and ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations. During the meeting, the DGCA raised concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported by Air India and advised the airline to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, and ground handling units. The airline was also urged to ensure the availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and to strictly adhere to regulations. The impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was also reviewed, with operators asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and to adopt alternate routing strategies to minimize disruptions.
Despite the DGCA's findings of no major safety concerns, Air India cancelled five international flights on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, as aviation authorities intensified scrutiny of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The carrier grounded all affected services utilizing the Dreamliner model, citing increased safety precautions and regulatory compliance measures. Furthermore, an Air India flight from Hong Kong to New Delhi turned around shortly after takeoff on Monday, June 16, 2025, due to a midair "technical issue." The airline stated that the plane landed back in Hong Kong safely and was undergoing checks "as a matter of abundant precaution."
