Air India is upgrading its fleet of Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crucial for its long-haul operations, with retrofitting expected to be completed by early 2028. The airline has already received its first retrofitted plane, featuring a three-class configuration.
The senior official of Air India said that no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection was completed, he said in the email sent to B787 pilots.
Air India's first refurbished Boeing 787-8 aircraft has landed in Delhi, marking a milestone in the airline's USD 400 million investment plan to upgrade its wide-body fleet. The aircraft features comprehensive interior upgrades, including new seats and in-flight entertainment systems.
In 2025, the total net induction was 35 planes -- 79 added and 44 returned -- making it much lower than even 2024.
Air India is undertaking a $400 million programme to modernise its legacy fleet, with plans to complete the retrofit of its entire Boeing 787-8 fleet by the first quarter of 2028 and its Boeing 777 fleet by 2029.
In a statement, the airline said it has completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.
The IAF's future operational concepts could involve indigenous Tejas combat aircraft coordinating in real time with multiple Ghatak RPSAs, each carrying a different mission payload ranging from electronic warfare systems and targeting sensors to precision munitions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 planes equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect.
Amid mounting safety concerns and the cancellation of at least 66 flights that were to be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, DGCA officials held a detailed review meeting with top Air India and Air India Express executives.
'In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism.'
CAE Simulation Training has launched a new pilot training facility in Mumbai, its fourth in India, to address the increasing demand for skilled pilots in the rapidly growing domestic aviation market.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority is investigating a fuel control switch issue on an Air India Boeing 787-8 at Heathrow Airport. The incident occurred before a flight to Bengaluru, prompting scrutiny from both UK and Indian aviation regulators.
Events from mid-2025 to early 2026 exposed deeper systemic concerns for India's aviation safety architecture.
'We have been insisting that all Boeing 787 aircraft be grounded and checked for the electrical systems.'
Air India grounded a Boeing 787-8 after a pilot reported a potential fuel control switch defect. The incident occurs amidst an ongoing investigation into the airline's Dreamliner crash last June.
'Extending 'flight duty period' and 'flight time' limits for minimum crew complement operations increases exposure to fatigue-related performance degradation'
Tensions began soon after Indian authorities proposed flying the American black-box experts to a remote military facility, even as US officials intervened, citing safety and security risks.
The Federation of Indian Pilots, said the union has written to the DGCA raising concerns over the extension.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which faced fuel control switch glitch, took off from London on February 1 after the crew carried out a physical check of the switch and that no abnormal parameters were observed during start of the engine or thereafter.
Air India Group expects to induct 26 wide-body and narrow-body planes, and operate 81 per cent of its international flights with upgraded aircraft by the end of 2026, while overall capacity will remain almost unchanged next year.
The DGCA has asked airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes after a preliminary probe report into the Air India crash found that the switches were cut off before the accident.
IndiGo is adjusting its long-haul flight schedule, including suspending services to Copenhagen, due to airspace uncertainties and airport congestion. The airline will also reduce flights to London and Manchester.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft -- VT-ANB -- was 11.5 years old and had flown for more than 41,000 hours, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The Indian Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, a significant step towards bolstering the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities. The decision comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
'...from the recovered part of the throttle quadrant -- the control panel that manages engine power -- it is hard to say at this stage if the locking mechanism was damaged in any way.'
IndiGo on Wednesday said it was exploring an earlier introduction of wide-body planes in its fleet to meet the growing demand for international travel. Industry sources said the airline was in talks with Norse Atlantic Airways to wet-lease six B787 planes in its fleet.
The move follows the recent probe report by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that highlighted safety concerns involving Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with Collins Aerospace SVO-730 Rudder Rollout Guidance Actuators.
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced an uncommanded deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) shortly before landing. The DGCA is investigating the incident, raising safety concerns.
Three Indian carriers -- SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express -- have Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleets.
Two of these flights were cancelled after the passengers had already boarded the aircraft, the airline said.
A timeline of events related to the investigation of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, including investigation initiation, black box recovery, and safety measures taken.
In a message to flyers, the Air India chief also said the 15 percent reduction in Air India's international wide-body fleet operations for the next few weeks is a temporary move.
Air India's ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12 underwent comprehensive maintenance checks in June 2023 and was due for the next scheduled comprehensive checks in December this year, according to airline officials.
The DGCA directive called for a series of specific checks before each flight's departure from India, including inspection of fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, and electronic engine control units.
On Friday, the Alaska Airlines plane's outer section, including a window, fell off mid-air.
IndiGo, which operates the largest fleet among Indian carriers, has reported the highest number of serious engine-related incidents.
Akasa Air on Thursday announced an order for 150 Boeing 737 Max planes as the less than two-year old airline looks to expand its domestic and international operations. The latest order, comprising 737 Max 10 and 737 Max 8-200 jets, will provide the airline a steady aircraft delivery stream through 2032, cementing the company's domestic and international expansion plans, the airline said in a release.
Aviation regulator DGCA has issued four show cause notices to Air India for various violations related to cabin crew rest and duty norms, cabin crew training rules and operational procedures, a month after the airline made certain voluntary disclosures to the watchdog.
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