Post-Ahmedabad air crash, go beyond safety inspections

THE tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad has spotlighted the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a jet already burdened with a history of technical and safety concerns. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety inspections for Air India’s entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. While this is a necessary step, it is also a reactive one. Aviation regulators and manufacturers must move beyond this pattern. The Dreamliner was once hailed as a game-changer in commercial aviation with its fuel-efficient design and advanced composites. However, over the years, reports of structural weaknesses, quality control issues at Boeing’s South Carolina plant and manufacturing delays have raised repeated concerns. The recent crash — involving an 11-year-old aircraft — has reinforced global scrutiny of both the model and Boeing’s production standards.