Air India Dreamliner crash: Air India has finalized enhanced inspections on 22 Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet following last week’s crash. The airline operates 33 Dreamliners, with the first acquisition dating back to 2012. The aircraft involved in the incident had been operational since 2014.The additional scrutiny follows the DGCA’s instructions to Air India to perform supplementary maintenance inspections on their Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft with GEnx engines, including evaluations of specific take-off parameters, electronic engine control assessments and engine fuel system verifications.Air India sources told ET, whilst the inspections revealed no major issues, several flights scheduled for 787 aircraft, including routes to Sydney and Melbourne, were suspended.Also Read | Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to undergo enhanced safety inspection, orders DGCA; here’s what will be checked“The cancellations are due to a combination of factors including enhanced inspection which took longer time than expected and closure of the Iranian airspace,” an Air India official said. Airlines have been avoiding significant portions of the Middle East since Friday, following Israeli strikes on Iranian locations and subsequent Iranian counterstrikes amidst ongoing regional tensions.During a Saturday briefing, Indian aviation officials confirmed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal issued a distress call to air traffic control shortly after departing Ahmedabad airport at 1.39 PM on Thursday.Aviation ministry secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said that when air traffic control responded to the pilot’s mayday call, they received no response. The aircraft crashed moments later.Following the Air India Boeing 787 accident, the Centre plans to revise its aviation safety policy. A committee, led by the home secretary, has been established.Also Read | Air India plane crash: 787 Dreamliner is Boeing’s flagship product – 10 things to know about aircraft model involved in Ahmedabad crashCivil Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on Saturday that the committee will review current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents. This review will operate independently of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) statutory investigation.“This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,” Naidu said.
