No major safety concerns have been found in the recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet following the crash on June 12, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The DGCA, however, did raise concerns over recent maintenance-related issues reported by the airline in a meeting with senior Air India group officials, as per an official statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
The DGCA Tuesday held a “high-level” meeting with top brass of AI and its subsidiary airline Air India Express to review “operational robustness of the airlines and ensure continued compliance with safety and passenger service regulations”.
Meanwhile, 13 Boeing 787-operated AI flights were cancelled Tuesday (until 6 pm) as the enhanced safety inspections mandated by DGCA and airspace closures in West Asia led to delays and non-availability of aircraft for some flights, according to sources in the know.
At the meeting, the airline was advised by the regulator to “strictly adhere to regulations” and strengthen coordination among its engineering, operations, and ground handling units, and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues.
The regulator also recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates. This is expected to enhance overall decision-making and reduce downstream disruptions in flight operations.
“The recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards… The ‘Enhanced Safety Inspection’ mandated is applicable to the entire Air India B787-8/9 fleet, comprising 33 aircraft. Of these, 4 aircraft are currently undergoing major checks at various MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facilities. As of 1500 hrs on 17 June 2025, a total of 24 aircraft have successfully completed the required check. An additional 2 aircraft are planned for completion today, with 1 more scheduled for tomorrow,” the MoCA statement said.
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Another two 787s of AI are grounded in Delhi and the checks on these will be done before they return to service, while the remaining four aircraft currently at MROs will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from maintenance.
Following the crash last week killing all but one of 242 people on board, the DGCA had directed the airline to carry out additional maintenance inspections on all 33 of its 787s.
The enhanced checks ordered by the DGCA include a one-time pre-departure check of aircraft systems and parameters including fuel parameters monitoring and associated system, cabin air compressor and associated systems, electronic engine control system, engine fuel driven actuator and oil system, hydraulic system serviceability, and take-off parameters. Additionally, flight control inspection was to be introduced in transit inspection till further notice. Power assurance checks were also mandated. On Saturday, Air India had announced that the checks were being performed, and informed passengers that some of these could “lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes especially those to airports with operating curfews”.
According to data shared by MoCA, AI had operated a total of 55 wide-body aircraft-operated flights on Tuesday till 6 pm, while 16 were cancelled. Of these 16 cancelled flights, 13 were to be operated by the Boeing 787 aircraft. Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet operated 30 flights on Tuesday, as of 6 pm. Since Thursday, 66 787-operated flights of AI have been cancelled, while the number of flights operated stands at 248.
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The Boeing 787-operated flight that were cancelled on Tuesday included AI 143 (Delhi-Paris), AI 159 (Ahmedabad-London Gatwick), AI 915 (Delhi-Dubai), AI 153 (Delhi-Vienna), and AI 133 (Bengaluru-London). In most of these cases, as the flight from India was cancelled, it led to the cancellation of the return leg that was to be operated by the same aircraft. The number may rise and in some cases, spill over to Wednesday.
Given that the recent airspace closures, particularly in West Asia, have been contributing to flight delays, diversions, and cancellations, the DGCA asked Air India and Air India Express to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew, and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimise disruptions. The airspace closures have affected flights to parts of West Asia, Europe, and North America from India.
“The operators were reminded of their obligations under the relevant Civil Aviation Requirements…to inform passengers well in advance regarding delays and cancellations. Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels,” the DGCA said.
