Opinion Air India Flight Crash: History of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, past safety concerns

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. According to Air India, the crashed plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, considered to be one of the most advanced passenger aircraft. This is the first fatal incident involving the Boeing 787, but not its first brush with safety issues. Boeing has said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Here’s what we know about Boeing 787.

A short history of Boeing 787s

The aircraft involved in Thursday’s crash entered Air India’s fleet in 2014.

Boeing introduced the 787 in 2007 as a next-generation, long-haul jet, building on the success of its 777 predecessor to offer a more fuel-efficient variant. It was also meant to replace some of Boeing’s ageing 767s. Its first test flight took place in December 2009. However, the path to commercial service was dogged by global supply chain issues, in-flight software bugs, and engine troubles that delayed its launch.

The first commercial Boeing 787 took flight in 2012.

Features of Boeing 787

The Dreamliner is a wide-body jet designed for long-haul efficiency. It has a carbon fibre composite structure, making it lighter than the older aluminium aircraft bodies. It also uses 25 per cent less fuel than its predecessors.

Boeing has termed the 787 Dreamliner its “best selling passenger planes” as it offers spacious cabins and large windows, along with a comfortable cockpit. It also has less cabin pressurisation and more air humidity than older airplanes. It has three variants: the 787-8, 787-9 and the 787-10.

AI171 was the 787-8 variant, which can carry up to 248 passengers and cover a distance of 13,530 km. It is 57 metres long and has a wingspan of 60 metres. It is equipped with the GEnx-1B/Trent 1000 engine.

Safety concerns around Boeing 787

Over the years, however, concerns have been raised around the safety of Boeing 787s, but the airline company has remained confident in the aircraft’s design. The aircraft manufacturer is facing several US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigations over safety concerns.

In May 2024, the FAA announced that Boeing was “reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system” and would make plans to assess those in service. A month before it, the FAA launched an investigation into alarming claims by whistleblower Sam Salehpour, a former Boeing engineer. He alleged that sections of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner were improperly fastened together. He had warned that the plane could come apart after long-term usage.

Boeing had dismissed the claims, calling them “inaccurate”. A company spokesman told The New York Times that Salehpour’s claims “do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft”.

In March 2024, another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, was found dead from a suspected “self-inflicted” gunshot wound. A longtime employee, Barnett had worked at a 787 manufacturing facility in South Carolina. Back in 2019, he accused Boeing of installing substandard parts in the Dreamliners to speed up production. Boeing has denied the claims.

The Dreamliner has also been linked to other flight safety scares. In March 2024, a Latam Airlines 787 en route to New Zealand suddenly plunged mid-flight before the pilot regained control. A Wall Street Journal report later traced the incident to human error.

In 2013, flight safety regulators across the world, including India, grounded the entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. At the time, Air India (then government-owned) owned six 787s. The move came after the FAA raised red flags about the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries.

Apart from the Dreamliners, Boeing has been facing increased scrutiny over the safety of its jets ever since two fatal crashes of its 737 Max plane in 2018 and 2019.