Latest news with #BoeingDreamliners
India Gazette
12-07-2025
- General
- India Gazette
Preliminary report on Air India Boeing crash released
The probe has found that both engines of the plane shut down mid-air after the fuel supply was cut by valves that were switched off Last month's Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash was caused by the fuel supply to the engines being shut off, a preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has found. The UK-bound plane carrying 242 peoplecrashedinto a residential area in Ahmedabad, India shortly after takeoff on June 12. Only one person on board survived. Nineteen people on the ground were also killed. According to thereportreleased on Saturday, cockpit switches controlling the fuel supply were moved to the 'cut off' position seconds after takeoff, shutting off fuel to both engines. The report states that in the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking why the fuel switch was cut off. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report says, noting that seconds after the exchange, the plane began losing altitude. One engine restarted when the switches were turned back on, but the plane continued to descend, and one of the pilots issued a Mayday call. The plane was airborne for only 32 seconds and traveled 0.9 nautical miles before it crashed. The report does not state whether the switches were manually or accidentally flipped. It does not attribute the remarks it mentions to either the captain or first officer, nor does it identify who issued the distress call. The investigators have ruled out fuel quality issues, overloading, bird strikes, and the presence of hazardous cargo. All systems were reportedly normal at takeoff. The report does not currently recommend action against Boeing, which built the aircraft, or General Electric, the engine manufacturer. Both companies, along with the US Federal Aviation Administration and UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, are involved in the ongoing investigation. Commenting on the report, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu urged the public to not "jump to conclusions," stressing that it is based on early findings and "many technicalities" remain unresolved. Air India acknowledged the report in a statement on X and said it is cooperating with the authorities, but declined further comment. Experts earlier cited potential crew error, mechanical failure, or incorrect takeoff settings as possible causes of the tragedy. Following the crash, India's aviation regulator ordered safety checks on all Air India Dreamliners. READ MORE: Midair emergencies force four Boeing Dreamliners to divert India flights Boeing has faced growing scrutiny over safety issues in recent years. Its 737 MAX plane was grounded around the world from 2019 to 2020 following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. (
India Today
12-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Video: Karnataka man rescued after wife allegedly pushes him into river
11:50 The safety of Boeing Dreamliners is under intense scrutiny following a fuel switch incident that caused a sudden loss of engine power. The preliminary report suggests the fuel switches moved from 'run' to 'cut off' position, leading to an emergency situation. This incident has raised questions about the safety protocols and the need for immediate checks on all Dreamliners globally. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued an alert about these switches in 2018. Boeing's response has been described as 'defiant', with the company stating they will cooperate in the investigation but remaining silent on the fuel switch issue. The incident has potential ramifications for the global aviation industry and India's relationship with Boeing, given the significant orders in the pipeline.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Indigo Airlines Launches Long Haul Flights Despite Domestic Market Dominance Concerns, ET Infra
Advt Advt By , ETInfra Is it not good to give wings to the nation, asked Pieter Elbers ? He was responding to a question about Indigo 's predominant share of the domestic aviation market as industry stakeholders have often expressed concerns about a virtual flies nearly two in three domestic passengers every day, the Air India group is a distant second in market share and other airlines together account for the remaining passenger pie. Elbers , CEO of Indigo, was speaking after the launch of the airline's ambitious long haul operations, with the first flight connecting Mumbai and Manchester , from July marks Indigo's move towards becoming a global airline and will be followed by connections to other European destinations as more leased Boeing Dreamliners come in - 6 in all by the first quarter of calendar like domestic expansion, the airline is targeting a quick scale up internationally too, with 40 per cent ASKs (available seat kilometers) from international operations by 2030. This would make it the second biggest Indian airline on international long haul routes after the Air India group. Indigo has already lined up further expansion on domestic as well as international operations: last month, it firmed up the order for an additional 30 Airbus 350 aircraft, taking the total A350s on order to all, Indigo has 1330 aircraft on order, including 500 A320s and Elbers said it is considering whether to expand its ATR fleet further as the previous ATR order deliveries are near is Indigo's domestic market dominance a concern? Elbers does not think so. 'If you look at our market share on the nation's busiest business routes, we do not have 65 per cent market share on these routes. We have a significantly lower market share on these routes, we are not the largest operator between Delhi and Mumbai - the nation's busiest and business and, one could argue, the most lucrative route…on tier II to tier III and tier III to tier III and some regional routes, we are the only it good to give wings to the nation or should the question be whether we are the only operator on these routes? Doesn't stop anyone else from flying…take the example of some airports in the North East where, thanks to IndiGo, there are six, seven daily flights. Nothing prevents anyone else from flying (these routes) so we are opening routes, creating infrastructure to start building on it…market share percentage is lower on hub to hub routes and higher or very high on regional and tier II and tier III.'Also, if India wants to become a global aviation hub, it needs large airlines. 'We need to have airlines which can compete in size and scale with others in the world…So India having two large airline groups with a distinct profile…the pie is big enough for both of us for a country the size of India and then a couple of other contenders. I would say this landscape is not unique to India,' Elbers domestic growth prospects, he said that Indigo operates four types of services: metro to metro routes, metro to non-metro routes, non-metro to non-metro routes and flights under the regional connectivity scheme. On the metro to metro routes, growth will be 'somewhat slower than the average. Where we have seen a lot of growth is the metro to non-metro. So you see the number of flights we've added from Hyderabad, from Bombay. So that has been a huge growth engine.'Indigo has placed its bets on international long haul through expansion of wide body fleet with damp lease of Dreamliners before the twin aisle aircraft order deliveries begin. Also, code shares with major international airlines to offer connections to Europe and the Americas and expansion of the already wide domestic network to feed into the international flights is to achieve these goals, the airline has veered off the generally accepted path of an LCC: it is now offering hot meals, premium seating called 'Stretch', in-flight entertainment etc on the flights to Europe and had already launched a loyalty program said that what Indigo had adopted was a 'fit for purpose' strategy, where it is offering services based on market needs instead of migrating the entire network of the airline towards premiumisation. So fares for the newly launched Manchester and Amsterdam connections, for example, will be determined on the cost base and will remain competitive. Stretch is being offered only on select metro routes in the domestic market for now.'I wouldn't call it a premiumization journey because that would suggest that our entire scope of products and portfolio would move to that journey and that's in fact not what we're doing. We have a very solid foundation where we operate a total of 130 destinations, 500 routes domestic and 100 international. And on top of that foundation, we added a product called Stretch on a very selective, specific number of routes…for us, it is a step to prepare for the future and in fact cater to a select group of the Indian customers willing and aspiring for that product.'IndiGo has an existing codeshare and lease arrangement with Turkish Airlines , which allows the Indian carrier to offer connections to 30 destinations in Europe and the USA besides allowing damp lease of aircraft. This relationship has come under intense government scrutiny, due to Turkey's support of Pakistan during the recent conflict and the government has allowed Indigo to continue with the damp lease for three said that the airline was looking at 'different scenarios' and will remain compliant with the regulatory framework. On the codeshare, he said that unless the Indian government issues a different guideline, Indigo will continue with the arrangement while it continues to forge new codeshare agreements with other airlines.
Mint
18-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Air India plane crash: No red flags or maintenance issue — N Chandrasekaran says ‘Dreamliners have been operating…'
Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Wednesday said there were no red flags with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft before the tragic Air India plane crash that claimed over 270 lives . Chandrasekaran's remarks comes almost a week after the tragic Air India plane crash that killed 241 out of the 242 passengers and cabin crew on board, as well as residents of the building that the aircraft crashed into. 'There were no red flags or maintenance issues (with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft),' he was quoted as saying during an interview with Times Now. Boeing Dreamliners have been operating for a long time now, he added. 'Dreamliners have been operating for a long time,' Chandrasekaran said, adding, 'Safety concerns have never been raised.' Air India was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 after the Centre put the company up for bid. Chandrasekaran in the interview further revealed that a preliminary report of the June 12 Air India plane crash is expected in 30 days. The Tata Sons Chairman said he has asked aircraft maker Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace to tell the company if there are any issues with any aircraft made by them. 'We have asked Boeing and GE (Aerospace) to tell us if there are any issues with any aircraft,' Chandrasekaran said. The Air India Chairman 'apologised' for the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last week that claimed more than 270 lives. 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died,' he said in the interview. Chandrasekaran stressed that the Tata Group will do everything to support the families of victims. 'I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' he was quoted as saying. (This is a developing story. Check back for updates)
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Address collateral damage to reputations by putting safety first
The crash has also triggered what may be the costliest claim in India's aviation industry. The aircraft hull and engine value is put at $125 million, while the liability for loss of life of passengers and others on ground could notch up to another $350 million. It has also been a huge setback for Air India, which the Tata Group acquired in October 2021. The company has been on a massive upgrade in recent months, including an order for 500 new planes, rebranding of the name and livery, and refitting of 67 older planes. Much of the hard work may now be under a cloud. Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran acknowledged as much when he said at a recent review that the fatal crash has been the most heartbreaking crisis of his career, and that it should lead to the building of a safer airline. Running an airline is a complex proposition, but the pillar everything rests on is its safety record. Even in the aftermath of the June 12 crash, three other India-bound Boeing Dreamliners operated by Air India and two other airlines were forced to return on safety considerations. Rigorous pre-flight checks have been introduced and at least five Air India flights including a Delhi-Paris Dreamliner flight were cancelled on Tuesday. Even though disruptive in the near term, that is the way to go. Air India also needs to look closely at the doubts raised about its Dreamliner fleet. Perhaps the best way to honour those who perished is to ensure such a disaster does not happen again.
