The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has recently written to the Civil Aviation Ministry demanding immediate grounding of all Air India Boeing 787 aircraft due to technical glitches and maintenance issues. The pilots’ association has cited the recent special audit conducted by the DGCA due to persistent technical problems and poor maintenance of Air India aircraft as the reason behind the move.
According to FIP, several serious technical malfunctions have been reported on B-787 aircraft in recent months. These incidents have not only raised questions about aviation safety, but also posed serious risks to passengers and pilots. The pilots’ association has urged the DGCA to conduct a detailed and thorough inspection of the electrical systems of all Boeing 787 aircraft operated in India.
Details of recent events
October 4, 2025: Ram Air Turbine (RAT) suddenly activated during landing in Air India flight number AI-117 from Amritsar to Birmingham. The incident occurred during the final phase of the flight. However, the crew checked and found that all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal, and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. After this the aircraft was temporarily stopped for inspection.
October 9, 2025: Air India flight AI-154 from Vienna, Austria to New Delhi was diverted to Dubai due to a possible technical glitch. After checks, the aircraft took off again from Dubai at 8:45 am (Indian Standard Time) and reached New Delhi safely.
According to the pilots’ association, in both these incidents, the autopilot system suddenly failed, causing multiple technical glitches. Affected systems included the autopilot, instrument landing system (ILS), flight directors (FD), and flight control systems, disrupting the aircraft’s autolanding capability.
Referring to past events
FIP also drew the attention of the government to the Air India plane crash that took place in Ahmedabad on June 12. The organization said that technical faults occurring in B-787 aircraft in the country are not being fully investigated, due to which air safety is in danger. The pilots’ union said such incidents have increased since the maintenance of Air India planes was handed over to new engineers. Earlier, when AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Limited) was handling maintenance, such technical problems were rare.
FIP’s three main demands
Thorough Investigation: A thorough and impartial investigation into the recent incidents involving AI-117 and AI-154.
Grounding: All Air India B-787 aircraft are to be temporarily grounded and detailed checks are conducted to resolve recurring technical problems including electrical systems.
Special Audit: A special audit should be conducted by senior officials of the DGCA, specifically examining the MEL (Minimum Equipment List) releases and recurring technical problems in the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Air India statement
Tata Group-owned Air India recently completely rejected claims of technical problems. The company said the opening of the RAT in the AI-117 on October 4 was “uncommanded” and posed no threat to the aircraft or passengers. All electrical and hydraulic systems were normal, and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. Subsequently, the aircraft was temporarily grounded for inspection and operations were resumed on 5 October after the completion of the investigation. Air India also clarified that the safety of passengers and crew is always its top priority. The airline said that the opening of the RAT was not due to any technical fault or pilot error and this has been seen in other airlines before.
What do experts say?
According to experts, increasing technical faults in B-787 aircraft pose a serious safety risk. If these flaws are not addressed immediately, they could have a serious impact on air safety.
