Air India CEO says crashed Dreamliner was well-maintained, undergone last major check in Jun 2023
Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI): The crashed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was "well-maintained" and had undergone a major check in June 2023 with the next scheduled for December this year, said Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on Thursday.
In a message to flyers, the Air India chief also said the 15 per cent reduction in Air India's international wide-body fleet operations for the next few weeks is a temporary move and it may affect its customers' travel plans.
"The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023 and the next scheduled for December 2025. Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," he said.
The airline chief further said the loss of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has "left us all in deep sorrow".
"Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event. We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy. Our thoughts are with everyone touched by this loss," Wilson said in the message.
He said that the airline as well as the entire aviation industry was awaiting the official investigation report to understand more.
Campbell said that following the June 12 crash and as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline has been conducting thorough safety inspections on its 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
So far, inspections have been completed on 26 aircraft and these have been cleared for service, he said and added that the remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will have these additional checks done before being released into service.
"Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that Air India Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards," he said.
While DGCA raised concerns over recent maintenance-related issues at Air India and directed airline to boost inter-department coordination, it said that the surveillance of the airline's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns in the wake of the fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad last week.
On June 13, a day after the B787-8 crash that killed 241 people on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, comprising 26 787-8s and seven 787-9s.
"Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days," the Air India chief said in his message.
"We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we're truly sorry for the inconvenience. As a confidence-building measure, the airline has elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, its Boeing 777 aircraft, for the time being," he said.
Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, Air India has decided to reduce its international wide-body flights by around 15 per cent starting June 20, through to at least mid-July, Wilson said.
"This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues. We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we're deeply sorry for any inconvenience," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lok Sabha passed 12 bills, Rajya Sabha 14 in Monsoon session amid Opposition protests
New Delhi (PTI): Twelve bills were passed by the Lok Sabha and 14 by the Rajya Sabha during the month-long Monsoon session of Parliament, which has witnessed repeated disruptions, adjournments and walkouts.
Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in both House, the session has seen little business ever since it began on July 21 due to repeated disruptions and adjournments initially due to opposition demand for discussion on Operation Sindoor and then over demands for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar.
The Monsoon session is scheduled to end on Thursday.
The bills passed by the Lok Sabha are The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025, The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025, The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025, The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Other bills passed by the Lok Sabha are The Income-tax Bill, 2025, The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Indian Ports Bill, 2025, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
The bills passed or returned by the Rajya Sabha are The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025, The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Manipur Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025, The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 and The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2025
Other bills passed by the Rajya Sabha are The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Income-tax Bill, 2025, The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Indian Ports Bill, 2025, The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 and The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025
"This time in Parliament, there was so much ruckus and opposition didn't cooperate. Due to this obstinate behaviour, opposition missed participating in discussions on several important bills which were passed," a government functionary said.
In the Rajya Sabha, except for The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, which was passed without any disruption on the first day of the Monsoon session, the other bills were passed after some discussion amid din or only after the Opposition parties staged a walk out, the functionary said.
