The crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in the western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, which killed 241 of the 242 people on board, has drawn attention to the national carrier’s safety violations and operational lapses in recent years.
The aircraft bound for London Gatwick airport went down less than a minute after take-off, crashing into the hostel wing of a nearby medical college. One passenger survived with minor injuries.
This incident has raised questions about Air India’s compliance with safety protocols – a concern repeatedly flagged by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) since the airline’s privatisation in early 2022.
In January this year, the DGCA had fined Air India 11 million rupees (approximately €111,000) following whistleblower allegations that the airline had violated long-haul safety norms. The airline contested the decision and appealed.
That same month, it was fined another three million rupees after allowing a pilot to operate a flight in July 2024 without fulfilling mandatory “recency” requirements, which stipulate at least three take-offs and landings in the prior 90 days.
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In March 2024, Air India was fined eight million rupees for violating flight duty time limitations – regulations designed to ensure that pilots are adequately rested before flying. DGCA officials said crew schedules had been overstretched, potentially compromising flight safety. Air India denied the claim.
These violations followed earlier penalties levied for a range of issues: denying boarding to passengers with confirmed tickets, failing to prevent unauthorised individuals from entering the cockpit on at least two flights, and general noncompliance with standard operating procedures.
Akash Vats, a passenger on the aircraft that crashed posted an online video taken from inside the plane before take-off from New Delhi to Ahmedabad – from where it was headed to Gatwick – highlighting basic cabin malfunctions hours before the crash.
“The air conditioning isn’t working, neither are the TV screens or cabin-crew call buttons,” he said in the video after landing in Ahmedabad.
New Delhi’s temperature was over 43 degrees, amplifying discomfort for passengers on-board. Mr Vats claimed to be sweating as the aircraft was taxiing on the runway.
Following the crash, aviation authorities recovered one of the aircraft’s two black boxes – the flight data recorder – from the rear of the wreckage. However, the second black box, known as the cockpit voice recorder and located at the aircraft’s front, has yet to be retrieved.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which operated under the federal civil aviation ministry, is expected to decode these recordings in its investigations to determine the cause of the crash.
While official investigations are still under way, aviation analysts have said the incident could mark a turning point in regulatory oversight and public trust in India’s aviation sector.
Air India operates 34 Dreamliners and could face serious disruptions if the DGCA decides to ground the entire fleet, pending further checks.
