India’s Aviation Regulator Calls for Inspection of Air India’s Boeing 787 Aircraft
India’s aviation authority has instructed Air India to conduct a thorough re-inspection of the emergency power system on its Boeing 787 planes, following the replacement of a crucial module, according to a report by the Press Trust of India.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also requested Boeing to provide a detailed report on measures they are taking to prevent unexpected activations of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT). This information was shared by a senior official from the agency, who chose to remain unnamed.
Attempts to reach Air India and Boeing for comments regarding this matter went unanswered. The RAT serves as a backup safety mechanism in airplanes and is designed to deploy only in emergencies, ensuring that essential systems like flight controls and navigation remain functional.
Recent incidents have drawn significant attention to air safety practices in India, one of the fastest-growing aviation markets. Earlier this month, a RAT was triggered unexpectedly on a flight from Amritsar to Birmingham just before landing. Additionally, on October 9, a flight traveling from Vienna to Delhi had to divert to Dubai due to failures in the autopilot and other critical systems.
In a separate incident, an Air India flight tragically crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 30, resulting in the loss of nearly all 242 passengers on board. The final report on that incident is still pending.
In light of these events, the Federation of Indian Pilots has urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to carry out a special audit of Air India’s 787 fleet and consider grounding the affected aircraft until safety concerns are fully addressed.
