Safety checks completed for 9 Boeing 787 Dreamliners; Air India warns of flight delays

Air India on Saturday said it has done one-time safety checks on nine of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and is on track to complete the checks on the remaining 24 such planes as directed by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In the wake of the fatal crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 plane in Ahmedabad on Thursday, DGCA on Friday ordered enhanced safety checks of the aircraft fleet.

Air India has 33 Boeing 787-8/9 planes.

“Some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes especially those to airports with operating curfews. Customers will be duly notified about any delays,” the airline said in a post on X.

The airline said it is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by DGCA.

“These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operation.

“Air India has completed such checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft and are on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator,” the airline said.

The carrier had 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s in its fleet.