- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sat, 14 Jun 2025 04:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amid the rising security concerns regarding the aircraft fitness in the wake of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India on Saturday announced that it will temporarily halt the operations of its entire Boeing 787 fleet until a one-time security check is conducted as per the directions of the Director General of Civil Aviation.
The development is likely to cause delays to multiple number of flights affecting hundreds of passengers. In a statement, the airline said, "Air India is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA. These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations."
Check conducted on 9, 24 remaining
Air India further said that nine such one-time safety checks have been completed, and 24 aircraft have been remaining. The remaining 24 Boeing 787s will undergo the DGCA-ordered security checks after they return to India. The carrier had 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s in its fleet.
"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. 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," the airline added.
What did Air India advice for passengers?
The airline, however, added that the customers will be duly notified about any delays. Air India has advised the passengers to check the status of their flights at the tracking page on their official website.
The airline has also announced to make refunds on cancellations or make complimentary reschedulings for those who get affected and opt for it.
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The development comes as 241 out of 242 onboard died in tragic plane crash that took place on Thursday, moments after the flight took off from the Ahmedabad airport.